A/HRC/8/14* page 2 Summary The present report is submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council decision 2/102 of 6 October 2006, requesting the Secretary-General to “continue with the fulfilment of [his] activities, in accordance with all previous decisions adopted by the Commission on Human Rights and to update the relevant reports and studies”. The present update outlines the progress achieved on the issue of fundamental standards of humanity since the last report to the Commission on Human Rights (E/CN.4/2006/87). Reports of the Secretary-General on fundamental standards of humanity aim at outlining issues related to securing the practical protection of all individuals in all circumstances and by all actors. Further to the publication of the 2005 Customary International Humanitarian Law study prepared by the International Committee of the Red Cross, the following developments since 2006, inter alia, have contributed to securing the practical respect for existing international human rights and humanitarian law standards in all circumstances and by all actors. The General Assembly adopted the Basic Principles on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation for Victims of Gross Violations of International Human Rights Law and Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law as well as the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and opened it for signature, ratification and accession. The ongoing work of the International Criminal Tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda has elaborated on the nature and elements of certain war crimes, of genocide and of crimes against humanity. The work of the Special Court for Sierra Leone and the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia represent a step further into incorporating standards of humanity into the work of hybrid courts. The International Court of Justice, in its decision of 26 February 2007 in the case of the Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Bosnia and Herzegovina v. Serbia and Montenegro) provided further clarification as to the interpretation of the scope and of certain key notions of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. This decision further clarified the interpretation of the term “ethnic cleansing” and its significance in international law within the scope of crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes in the context of the responsibility to protect. Finally, the commencement of operations of the International Criminal Court also contributed to efforts to securing the protection of victims and achieving accountability for serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. To build on this substantial progress, the Human Rights Council may wish to keep itself informed of relevant developments, including further international and regional case law, which contribute to the interpretation of existing standards.