UN Human Rights Council united over Darfur

Dec 13, 2006, 17:02 GMT

Geneva - The UN Human Rights Council unanimously agreed Wednesday to send a team of experts to Sudan to assess the human- rights situation in the conflict-torn western region of Darfur.

It is the first time all 47 members have agreed on a resolution since the council started work more than six months ago.

Three previous emergency sessions on the Middle East, called for by the Arab Islamic group, have split the council.

The Algerian representative on the Council spoke in the name of the Arab-Islamic delegations of a 'hope for Africa.'

The resolution expressed 'concern' over the seriousness of the human-rights situation in Darfur and called for the council president to appoint five highly qualified people to visit the region and report back to the next regular session in March.

The council had come under increasing pressure to address the situation in Darfur.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan himself had appealed to members to consider the crisis as a matter of urgency or risk the credibility of the council.

In an opening address he urged council members to send a 'clear and united message' on behalf of the world that the current situation would not be allowed to continue.

The session heard from many of the non-governmental organizations as well as UN agencies working in the field who described a humanitarian operation in jeopardy as insecurity continued to mount. More than 200,000 people are estimated to have died, and 2 million people have been forced to flee their homes.

Four million now rely on aid agencies.