Geneva: The UAE has announced its candidacy for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) from 2012 to 2015.
This was announced in the address delivered by UAE Ambassador Obaid Salem Al Za'abi, to the UN Permanent European headquarters in Geneva.
Al Za'abi said in the opener of his speech that the Human Rights Council has witnessed extensive activities over the past year to build its institutions through discussions to improve its performance and carry out its tasks with more transparency and efficiency.
He added that the UAE attaches great importance to the findings of the discussions at various levels and considered the development of human rights mechanisms, especially the universal periodic review mechanisms and actions are a positive step in improving the effectiveness of the Council in the future.
He added that the UAE gives special importance to the multi-level discussions in this respect, pointing out the enhancement of basic rights without discrimination.
Al Za'abi added that the UAE is following with great interest the qualitative transformation of the council and is open to all suggestions that will enhance its activities in the field of human rights and combating racial discrimination, and other aspects that affect human rights as a whole.
Al Za'abi renewed the UAE's readiness to cooperate with this body in all its mechanisms, as reiterated by the UAE government to the Human Rights envoy during her visit to the country last year.
And as a result of the deep belief of the UAE in human rights issues and their importance in enhancing its national policy in this respect, the UAE ambassador announced the UAE decision to nominate for the membership of the Human Rights Council 2012-2015, hoping that this nomination shall gain approval and backing.
In preparation for this very important task, the ambassador said that the UAE has also announced its setting up of a ministerial committee made up of a number of government and non-government department representatives, to be chaired by Dr Anwar Mohammad Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, to follow up all the voluntary pledges and recommendations the UAE accepted during its comprehensive review in September 2008.
