HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE TO HOLD FIFTY-EIGHTH SESSION FROM 21 OCTOBER TO 8 NOVEMBER AT GENEVA
Press Release
HR/CT/475
HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE TO HOLD FIFTY-EIGHTH SESSION FROM 21 OCTOBER TO 8 NOVEMBER AT GENEVA
19961017 Background Release GENEVA, 14 October (UN Information Service) -- The Human Rights Committee will meet from 21 October to 8 November in Geneva to consider reports from Denmark, United Kingdom (on Hong Kong), Switzerland, Gabon, Peru and Germany. The six countries are among 134 States parties to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.Under the terms of that treaty, States parties must inform the Committee periodically on measures taken to put the Covenant's provisions into effect. Government delegations have been invited to introduce the reports and to respond to oral and written questions from the Committee's expert members.
The report of the United Kingdom on Hong Kong contains information on new developments with respect to the enjoyment of human rights in that territory and was submitted in response to a request from the Committee made last November. A Committee delegation visited Hong Kong earlier this year at the invitation of the authorities. This session will also see Switzerland come before the Committee for the first time. The Committee began consideration of Peru's report at its previous session, but was unable to complete its examination then.
The Committee, which consists of 18 human rights experts, will also consider, in closed session, confidential communications sent to it by individuals who claim their rights under the Covenant have been violated. This procedure takes place under the first Optional Protocol to the Covenant and is open only to persons residing in the 87 countries which are parties to that Protocol. There are now 143 such communications pending before the Committee. It is expected to consider 42 cases, earlier declared admissible, for the adoption of final views, and to review the remaining 101 submissions to determine their admissibility.
A list of pending reports by States parties which have been received by the Secretary-General, as well as of outstanding reports, can be found in the Committee's annotated provisional agenda (document CCPR/C/118). According to its provisional timetable, the Committee will consider the report of Denmark (document CCPR/C/64/Add.11) on 22 October; the United Kingdom for Hong Kong
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(document CCPR/C/117) on 23 October; Switzerland (document CCPR/C/81/Add.8) on 24 and 25 October; Gabon (document CCPR/C/31/Add.4) on 28 and 29 October; Peru (document CCPR/C/83/Add.1) on 31 October; and Germany (document CCPR/C/84/Add.5) on 4 November.
Background on Covenant
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights was adopted by the General Assembly and opened for signature in 1966, together with the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, both of which entered into force in 1976.
The Civil and Political Rights Covenant begins by stating that all peoples have the right of self-determination. It recognizes that everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. It prohibits torture, cruel or degrading treatment or punishment, and the arbitrary deprivation of life. Anyone arrested is to be informed of the reasons for the arrest, and anyone arrested or detained on a criminal charge is to be brought promptly before a judge or other legally authorized person.
The Covenant also provides for freedom of movement, and places limitations upon the expulsion of aliens who are present lawfully in the territory of a State party. The rights to freedom of thought, conscience and religion and to freedom of expression are also recognized by the Covenant, which prohibits any propaganda for war or any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred.
States Parties to Covenant
The following 134 States have ratified or acceded to the Covenant: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyz Republic and Kuwait.
Also: Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Senegal, Seychelles, Slovak
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Republic, Slovenia, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Optional Protocols
The first Optional Protocol to the Covenant provides for the confidential consideration of communications from individuals who claim to be victims of the violation of any of the rights proclaimed in the Covenant. No communication can be received by the Committee if it concerns a State party to the Covenant that is not also a party to the Protocol.
The following 88 States are parties to the first Optional Protocol: Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Finland, France, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Guinea, Guyana, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Kyrgyz Republic, Latvia and Malawi.
Also: Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malta, Mauritius, Mongolia, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Senegal, Seychelles, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Somalia, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Zaire and Zambia.
The second Optional Protocol, which aims at abolition of the death penalty, was adopted by the General Assembly on 15 December 1989 and entered into force on 11 July 1991. It has been ratified or acceded to by the following 29 States: Australia, Austria, Croatia, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Mozambique, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Portugal, Romania, Seychelles, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Uruguay and Venezuela.
Committee Membership, Officers
The Committee's 18 members are elected by the States parties to the Covenant to serve in their individual capacities for four-year terms . Article 28 of the Covenant requires that they shall be persons of high moral character and recognized competence in the field of human rights.
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They are: Francisco José Aguilar Urbina, of Costa Rica; Nisuke Ando, of Japan; Tamas Ban, of Hungary; Prafullachandra Natwarlal Bhagwati, of India; Marco Tulio Bruni Celli, of Venezuela; Thomas Buergenthal, of the United States; Christine Chanet, of France; Lord John Mark Alexander Colville, of the United Kingdom; Omran El-Shafei, of Egypt; Elizabeth Evatt, of Australia; Laurel Francis, of Jamaica; Eckart Klein, of Germany; David Kretzmer, of Israel; Rajsoomer Lallah, of Mauritius; Andreas V. Mavrommatis, of Cyprus; Cecilia Medina Quiroga, of Chile; Fausto Pocar, of Italy; and Julio Prado Vallejo, of Ecuador.
The officers of the Committee are: Mr. Aguilar Urbina, Chairman; Mr. Ban, Mr. El-Shafei and Mr. Bhagwati, Vice-Chairmen; and Ms. Chanet, Rapporteur.
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