A/HRC/S-2/2 page 6 Against: Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Abstaining: Cameroon, Gabon, Ghana, Guatemala, Nigeria, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Switzerland. II. ORGANIZATION OF WORK OF THE SPECIAL SESSION 1. Pursuant to paragraph 10 of General Assembly resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006, the Human Rights Council “shall be able to hold special sessions, when needed, at the request of a member of the Council with the support of one third of the membership of the Council”. 2. By a letter dated 7 August 2006, addressed to the President of the Human Rights Council, the Permanent Representative of Tunisia to the United Nations Office at Geneva, on behalf of the Group of Arab States and the Organization of the Islamic Conference, requested that a special session of the Council be convened immediately “to consider and take action on the gross human rights violations, by Israel in Lebanon, including the Qana massacre, the countrywide targeting of innocent civilians and the destruction of vital civilian infrastructure”(A/HRC/S-2/1). 3. The letter, received by the President on the same day, was accompanied by signatures in support of the above-mentioned request from the following 16 States members of the Council: Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, China, Cuba, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Morocco, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia. 4. As more than one third of the membership supported the above-mentioned request, the President, following consultations with interested parties, decided to convene a special session of the Council on 11 August 2006. 5. Following the decision of the President, which was communicated to all permanent missions in Geneva by note verbale dated 8 August 2006, the following seven States members of the Council added their signatures in support of the request for a special session: Argentina, Brazil, India, Mali, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Uruguay. A. Opening and duration of the session 6. The Council held its second special session at the United Nations Office at Geneva on 11 August 2006. It held three meetings (A/HRC/S-2/SR.1-3)1 during the session. 7. The second special session was opened by the President of the Council, Mr. Luis Alfonso de Alba. B. Attendance 8. The second special session was attended by representatives of States members of the 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.