US Mission Geneva

First, it is essential that humanitarians embrace broader and more integrated perspectives on protection, both conceptually and operationally. Whether or not protection has ever been the exclusive domain of the specially mandated agencies such as UNHCR, protection is now a collective responsibility that involves vigilance and action by the full range of UN agencies, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, donor governments, and hosting governments.

U.S. Coordinator for Economic and Development Assistance Robin Raphael signed a partnership agreement allocating the first $831 million of more than $1 billion in development funds for Pakistan, part of the 2009 Kerry-Lugar-Berman Act.

A reorganization of the Department of State’s arms control and nonproliferation functions will take effect today. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton approved this plan with the goal of improving and revitalizing the Department’s efforts to enhance U.S. national security by effectively addressing global nuclear, chemical, biological, and conventional weapons threats.

The United States welcomes the adoption today by the United Nations Human Rights Council of a resolution addressing the elimination of discrimination against women. Most significantly, this resolution establishes a working group of five independent experts from different regions of the world …

The United States takes very seriously issues regarding private security companies, military contractors, and their accountability. The United States believes that the most effective and immediate way of addressing these concerns is through better implementation of existing laws. We have been engaged, alongside industry, civil society, and other governments, in the initiative facilitated by the Swiss Government to draft an international Code of Conduct which aims to commit private security companies to practices and high standards consistent with human rights.

The Human Rights Council made historic progress this session in advancing the rights of human rights defenders throughout the world. First and foremost, this council established the first-ever Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association that will provide a strong, independent and credible voice to highlight the growing threats to assembly, association and civil society, while developing best practices for the protections of those rights. Its creation addresses one of the United States’ top priorities at the council – to make it more effective in defending human rights on the ground throughout the world.

This resolution reinforces the role States play in taking appropriate measures to address the problem of discrimination against women and calls upon States to revoke laws that discriminate on the basis of sex. It stresses the need to promote equal pay for equal work or work of equal value, which the United States interprets as calling for non-discrimination in terms of remuneration.

The United States strongly supports accountability for violations of human rights and international humanitarian law around the world, including in the DRC. We welcome the improvement in regional relations since the reporting period and call on countries in the region to continue to collaborate closely to stop the ongoing atrocities in the DRC.

The United States remains deeply concerned by the suffering of civilians in Gaza. We continue to believe the situation in Gaza is unsustainable and is not in the interest of any of those concerned. As we have pointed out in the past, mechanisms are in place for the transfer of humanitarian assistance to Gaza. These mechanisms should be the ones used for the benefit of all those in Gaza.