A/HRC/21/57 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 24 August 2012 Original: English Human Rights Council Twenty-first session Agenda items 3 and 5 Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development Human rights bodies and mechanisms Preliminary study on promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms through a better understanding of traditional values of humankind Note by the secretariat* 1. In its resolution 16/3, the Human Rights Council requested the Advisory Committee to prepare a study on how a better understanding and appreciation of traditional values of dignity, freedom and responsibility could contribute to the promotion and protection of human rights, and to present that study to the Council before its twenty-first session. 2. At its seventh session, the Advisory Committee decided to establish a drafting group, consisting of Ahmer Bilal Soofi (Chairperson), Vladimir Kartashkin (Rapporteur), Obiora Chinedu Okafor, Anantonia Reyes Prado, Mona Zulficar, Dheerujlall Seetulsingh, Laurence Boisson de Chazournes, Shiqiu Chen, Alfred Ntunduguru Karakora and Chinsung Chung, and requested it to prepare the above-mentioned study and to submit it to the Committee for consideration at its ninth session.1 3. At its eighth session, the Advisory Committee took note of the comments and suggestions made during the discussions on the preliminary study prepared by Mr. Kartashkin, and requested the drafting group to submit a revised preliminary study to the Committee at its ninth session for further consideration.2 4. At its ninth session, the Advisory Committee took note of the study prepared by the drafting group (A/HRC/AC/9/2), and requested it to finalize the study in the light of the discussions held by the Committee at that session and to circulate it to all members of the Committee for final review and approval by the end of November 2012. In view of the challenges facing the drafting group in its efforts to reflect in the study the wealth of input * Late submission. 1 A/HRC/AC/7/4, text 7/1. A/HRC/AC/8/8, text 8/6. 2 GE.12-16170