A/HRC/19/2 Part Two Summary of proceedings I. Organizational and procedural matters A. Opening and duration of the session 1. The Human Rights Council held its nineteenth session at the United Nations Office at Geneva from 27 February to 23 March 2012. The President of the Council opened the session. 2. At the 1st meeting, on 27 February 2012, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the President of the General Assembly and the Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department for Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, Didier Burkhalter, addressed the plenary. 3. In accordance with rule 8 (b) of the rules of procedure of the Human Rights Council, as contained in part VII of the annex to Council resolution 5/1, the organizational meeting of the nineteenth session was held on 13 February 2012. 4. The nineteenth session consisted of 55 meetings held over 20 days (see paragraph 39 below). B. Attendance 5. The session was attended by representatives of States Members of the Human Rights Council, observer States of the Council, observers for non-Member States of the United Nations and other observers, as well as observers for United Nations entities, specialized agencies and related organizations, intergovernmental organizations and other entities, national human rights institutions and non-governmental organizations (see annex I). C. High-level segment 6. At its 1st, 3rd, 6th, 7th, 9th, 10th and 12th meetings, held from 27 February to 1 March 2012, the Human Rights Council held a high-level segment at which 83 dignitaries addressed the plenary, including 1 vice-president, 2 prime ministers, 5 vice-prime ministers, 49 ministers, 11 vice-ministers and 6 representatives of observer organizations. 7. The following dignitaries addressed the Human Rights Council during the high-level segment, in the order that they spoke: (a) At the 1st meeting, on 27 February 2012: the Vice-President of Colombia, Angelino Garzon; the Minister for Human Rights of Iraq, Mohamed Shiaa Al-Sudani; the Minister for Justice of Mozambique, Maria Benvinda Levi; the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Uruguay, Luis Almagro; the Minister for State and Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Khaled Bin Mohammad Al-Attiyah; the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Jeremy Browne; the SecretaryGeneral of Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, Abdou Diouf; the First Lady of Mexico and President of the National System for the Family of Mexico, Margarita Zavala; and the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union; 136 GE.13-14768