A/HRC/7/31 page 2 Introduction 1. The present report is submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council decision 4/104, which requested the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights “to consult States, and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations on ways and means to enhance the international cooperation and dialogue in the United Nations human rights machinery, including the Human Rights Council as recognized in the ninth preambular paragraph of General Assembly resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006”. 2. On 19 October 2007, the Secretariat of the Human Rights Council sent a note verbale to Member States, and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, seeking their views and information as requested in the above-mentioned decision. As of 7 January 2008, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights had received responses, summarized below, from the Governments of Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cuba, Guatemala, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Oman, the Russian Federation and Switzerland, as well as from the human rights organizations Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions and the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative. The full texts of the submissions are available from the Secretariat. Responses from Governments 3. Belarus [Original: Russian] [7 December 2007] (a) In its response, the Government of Belarus stressed that international cooperation is of great importance for the effective promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. It emphasized that international cooperation must be carried out in a manner fully in keeping with international law and the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. The Government expressed the view that international cooperation in the field of human rights will be effective if it is founded on the principles of universality, non-selectivity, impartiality and objectivity, as well as equitable and mutually respectful dialogue. Moreover, the Government stressed the importance of respect for the diversity of all States, as well as recognition of the right of countries and peoples to determine the paths of their political, economic, social and cultural development. (b) The Government emphasized that the fundamental importance of these principles have been reaffirmed in many resolutions of the General Assembly, including resolution 61/166 on the promotion of equitable and mutually respectful dialogue on human rights, which was adopted upon the initiative of Belarus and Uzbekistan. The effective implementation of these resolutions by all United Nations Member States, without exception, would facilitate the enhancement of international cooperation and dialogue within the United Nations human rights machinery. (c) The Government expressed the view that the enhancement of international cooperation and dialogue on human rights is hampered by the application of double standards and selectivity by certain countries. The Government stressed that politically motivated and prejudiced resolutions on the human rights situation in particular countries would seriously