A/HRC/7/78 page 108 Part Two: Summary of proceedings I. Organizational and procedural matters A. Opening and duration of the session 1. The Human Rights Council held its seventh session at the United Nations Office at Geneva from 3 March to 1 April 2008. The President of the Human Rights Council opened the session. 2. At the opening, the Secretary-General, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and Ms. Micheline Calmy-Rey, the Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, the host country, addressed the plenary. 3. In accordance with rule 8 (b) of the rules of procedure of the Council, as contained in part VII of the annex to Council resolution 5/1 of 18 June 2007, the organizational meetings of the seventh session were held on 18 February and 28 February 2008. 4. The seventh session consisted of 43 meetings over 19 days (see paragraph 28 below). B. Attendance 5. The 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 (see annex III). C. High-level segment 6. At the 1st to the 6th meetings of the seventh session, held from 3 to 5 March 2008, the Council held a high-level segment, at which 67 dignitaries addressed the plenary, including: 1 vice-president, 3 vice-prime ministers, 40 ministers, 20 vice-ministers, 2 secretaries-general and the High Representative of the Alliance of Civilizations. 7. The following is a list of the dignitaries who addressed the Council during the high-level segment, in the order that they spoke: (a) At the 1st meeting, on 3 March 2008: Mr. Francisco Santos Calderón, Vice-President of Colombia; Mr. Dimitrij Rupel, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Slovenia; Mr. Felipe Pérez Roque, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Cuba; Mr. Mofid Shehab, Minister for Legal Affairs and Parliamentary Councils of Egypt; Mr. Jean Asselborn, Vice-Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Immigration of Luxembourg; Mr. Alberto G. Romulo, Secretary for Foreign Affairs of the Philippines; Mr. Manuel Miguel da Costa Aragão, Minister for Justice of Angola; Mr. Jorge Taiana, Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship of Argentina; Mr. Adrian Mihai Cioroianu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Romania; Mr. Abdelwahed Radi, Minister for Justice of Morocco; Mr. Paulo de Tarso Vannuchi, Minister and Special Secretary on Human Rights of Brazil;