Brief comments on the last day of the Sixth Session of the Human Rights Council by David G. Littman, NGO Representative of Association for World Education (AWE) and World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ) to the UN Office in Geneva.
In the last hour of the 6th session of the Human Rights Council (December 14), a nine-page resolution was passed — L.15/Rev.1: Elimination of all forms of intolerance and of discrimination based on religion or belief. Sponsored by 57 States, of which 16 were Members of the Council and 41 were non-Member States, only two members of the 56 countries of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) co-sponsored it: Albania and Turkey, both non-Members.
The vote of the 47 Member State Council was, Yes: 29; No: 0; Abstention: 18. All the 15 OIC Member States of the Council, abstained — as did China, South Africa and Sri Lanka. Of those who provided an “explanation” of their vote, the delegate of Saudi Arabia insisted that shari”a law should not be criticized and declared that Islam was a religion of fraternity, tolerance and equality, without discrimination whatsoever. (UN interpretation from the Arabic)