Human Rights Council President’s Statement 1/PRST/2. Hostage-taking At the first session of the Human Rights Council, held from 19 to 30 June 2006, in connection with the Council’s consideration of the item entitled “Implementation of General Assembly resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006 entitled ‘Human Rights Council’”, the President of the Council made a statement which: 1. Reaffirmed that all acts of hostage-taking, wherever and by whomever committed, are a serious crime aimed at the destruction of human rights and are, under any circumstances, unjustifiable; 2. Strongly condemned all acts of hostage-taking anywhere in the world, in particular the most recent acts of hostage-taking, including the murder of four diplomats of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Baghdad, as well as other cases of hostage-taking involving civilians in Iraq; 3. Reaffirmed that hostage-taking calls for concerted efforts on the part of all States and the international community, acting in full compliance with international humanitarian law and international human rights standards, in order to bring such abhorrent practices to an end. ---