Africa: Support for creation of new rights council

Replacing the discredited United Nations Commission on Human Rights with a standing Human Rights Council would be a major step forward for the protection of human rights worldwide, says Human Rights Watch. On Friday the president of the U.N. General Assembly, Ambassador Jean Ping of Gabon, presented a draft outcome document for the General Assembly Summit in September which included a commitment of support for a Human Rights Council. The proposed Human Rights Council would operate year-round to allow it to act both preventively and during urgent crises.