On March 15, the United Nations General Assembly voted 170–4 to create a new Human Rights Council, effectively dissolving the oft-criticized Commission on Human Rights. Candidates for the Council will need to be elected by an absolute majority of 96 votes in order to secure a position, and once elected members can serve a maximum of two consecutive terms.

On January 26, 2005 the Damara community issued a press statement asking Germany to be held accountable for the lives of 17,000 Damara killed in the Namibian genocide between 1904 and 1907. Damara feel that they need to make their voices heard because discussions of the German genocide in Namibia have largely focused on the Herero. The statement also called on the German government to return the head of Damara warrior /Haihab //Guruseb for reburial.