The Foreign Service Journal, December 2010

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 0 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 25 F OCUS ON M ULT I LATERAL D I PLOMACY A D AY AT THE U.N. H UMAN R IGHTS C OUNCIL he United States joined the United Nations Human Rights Council as a member-state in 2009 and recently completed its fourth session as a mem- ber. During the most recent HRC session — Sept. 13 to Oct. 1— the U.S. delegation actively negotiatedmore than 20 resolutions and supported several major initiatives at the council, including establishment of a special rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of associa- tion, renewal of the mandate of the Human Rights Coun- cil’s Independent Expert on Human Rights in the Sudan, and creation of an expert working group to address dis- crimination against women in the law and in practice. The U.S. delegation and a cross-regional group of co- sponsors —Lithuania, the Czech Republic, the Maldives, Nigeria, Indonesia, Mexico and Argentina— spearheaded creation of the Office of the Special Rapporteur on Peace- ful Assembly and Association. This mechanism will pro- vide a strong, independent and credible voice to highlight growing threats to assembly, association and civil society, and will highlight and develop best practices for the pro- tection of those rights. Establishment of this mechanism was a top priority for us, and will help to advance the cause of human rights defenders worldwide. The United States delegation actively supported the re- newal of the mandate of the Independent Expert on Human Rights in the Sudan. This is a key tool for the in- ternational community’s continued engagement in Sudan during the run-up to the referenda in early 2011 on whether southern Sudan should remain a part of the coun- try or become independent. On behalf of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, I served as action officer for the resolution, which was co-led by Colombia and Mexico, that created the ex- pert working group on discrimination against women. Creation of this mechanism, a longstanding goal for many delegations and nongovernmental organizations, will help the international community highlight and develop best practices to address laws that discriminate against women worldwide. Intense Workdays Every day of the session brings a mix of meetings, res- olution negotiations, briefings and frequent communica- tion with colleagues in Washington. The six-hour time difference betweenWashington, D.C., and Geneva means that delegates have to wake up early to respond to e-mail messages and negotiation instructions that have come in T HE U.S. IS NOW ACTIVE IN THIS UNUSUAL MULTILATERAL FORUM DEVOTED TO FINDING CONSENSUS ON HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES . B Y S ARAH C IACCIA T Sarah Ciaccia, an entry-level FSO, serves as a political of- ficer at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in Geneva.