STATES PARTIES TO CONVENTION AGAINST RACIAL DISCRIMINATION ELECT NINE MEMBERS TO ITS MONITORING BODY

Press Release
RD/842

STATES PARTIES TO CONVENTION AGAINST RACIAL DISCRIMINATION ELECT NINE MEMBERS TO ITS MONITORING BODY

The States parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination this morning elected nine members to the Committee which monitors the Convention's implementation. They will replace members whose terms will expire on 19 January.

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination comprises 18 experts nominated by governments who serve in their personal capacity for four-year terms.

Eight of the nine members elected this morning, by secret ballot, are currently members of the Committee. The following experts were elected: Theodoor van Boven (Netherlands), Ion Diaconu (Romania), Eduardo Ferrero Costa (Peru), Ivan Garvalov (Bulgaria), Youri Rechetov (Russian Federation), Shanti Sadiq Ali (India), Luis Valencia Rodriguez (Ecuador), Mario Jorge Yutzis (Argentina) and Zou Deci (China) -- the latter being the new member elected today.

The other members of the Committee, who will continue to serve until 19 January 1998, are: Mahmoud Aboul-Nasr (Egypt), Hamzat Ahmadu (Nigeria), Michael Parker Banton (United Kingdom), Andrew R. Chigovera (Zimbabwe), Régis de Gouttes (France), Carlos Lechuga Hevia (Cuba), Agha Shahi (Pakistan), Michael E. Sherifis (Cyprus) and Rudiger Wolfrum (Germany).

On the matter of the Committee's financing, also on the meeting's agenda, the States parties had before them a report by the Secretary-General recalling that by resolution 47/111, the General Assembly had endorsed an amendment to article 8 of the Convention deciding that the Committee would be entirely funded from the United Nations regular budget. In 1992, the States parties had decided that the amendment would enter into force when accepted by a two-thirds majority of the parties. As at 5 September 1995, notifications of acceptance had been received from 17 States parties to the Convention, according to the report.

This morning, the States parties adopted a resolution, as orally amended, by which they expressed profound concern that a number of States parties to the Convention had still not fulfilled their financial obligations. States parties were urged to accelerate domestic ratification of the amendment to the Convention on financing the monitoring body. The text was introduced by Australia. Before action, Ecuador, Canada and Slovenia made statements supporting the draft, which was then adopted without a vote.

The meeting was opened by Hans Corell, the Legal Counsel, on behalf of the Secretary-General. The officers of the meeting were Julio Armando Martini Herrera (Guatemala), Chairman; and Patrick John Rata (New Zealand) and Seyed Hossein Rezvani (Iran), Vice-Chairmen.

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination examines periodic reports from States parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The Convention, with 146 States parties as at 16 January, was adopted by the Assembly on 21 December 1965 and entered into force on 4 January 1969.

Statement by Representative of Secretary-General

Hans Corell, the Legal Counsel, speaking on behalf of the Secretary- General, said that since the last meeting of States parties in 1994, Albania, Japan, Monaco, Switzerland, Tajikistan, United States and Uzbekistan had adhered to the Convention. At its sessions in 1994 and 1995, the Committee had considered the reports of 41 States parties. In its effort to re- establish dialogue with States whose reports were long overdue, the Committee had continued its practice of re-examining the last reports they had submitted. Since the last meeting of States parties, the Committee had also adopted a general recommendation concerning the implementation of article 3 of the Convention.

[Article 3 reads as follows: "States parties particularly condemn racial segregation and apartheid and undertake to prevent, prohibit and eradicate all practices of this nature in territories under their jurisdiction."]

He said the Committee had continued to develop its early warning and urgent procedures to more effectively respond to imminent or actual situations of widespread racial discrimination or racially motivated violence. The Committee had also considered communications received from individuals or groups who alleged that their rights under the Convention had been violated. To date, 22 States parties had made the necessary declaration under article 14 permitting communications to be considered concerning their responsibilities under the Convention. He also reviewed matters related to the financing of the Committee's activities.

Racial Discrimination Committee - 3 - Press Release RD/842 25th Meeting (AM) 16 January 1996

States Parties to Convention

As of 16 January there are 146 States parties to the Convention, as follows: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Holy See and Hungary.

Also parties to the Convention are Iceland, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

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