The Human Rights Council will hold its third special session on Wednesday, 15 November, to consider and take action on the gross human rights violations emanating from Israeli military incursions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including the recent one in Northern Gaza and the assault on Beit Hanoun.

The special session is being convened following a request by the Ambassador of Bahrain on behalf of the Group of Arab States and the Ambassador of Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

The request reads as follows : “Upon the decision of the Group of Arab States and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), we have the honour to request you to convene a special session of the Human Rights Council on Tuesday, 14 November 2006 or immediately thereafter to consider and take action on the gross human rights violations emanating from Israeli military incursions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including the recent one in Northern Gaza and the assault on Beit Hanoun”.

The request for the special session was signed by the following 24 Member States: Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Cuba, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Mauritius, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tunisia and Zambia.

General Assembly resolution 60/251 which created the Human Rights Council states in its operative paragraph 10 that the Council “shall be able to hold special sessions when needed at the request of a member of the Council with the support of one-third of the membership of the Council”.

The first special session of the Human Rights Council was held in July on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory. The second special session was held in August on the gross human rights violations by Israel in Lebanon, including the Qana massacre, country-wide targeting of innocent civilians, and destruction of vital civilian infrastructure.

The third special session will start at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 15 November in Room XVII at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

The resumed second session of the Council and the third session will be held from 27 November to 8 December.

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