COMMITTEE ON ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION TO HOLD FIFTIETH SESSION AT GENEVA, 3-21 MARCH
Press Release
RD/874
COMMITTEE ON ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION TO HOLD FIFTIETH SESSION AT GENEVA, 3-21 MARCH
19970228 Background Release GENEVA, 25 February (UN Information Service) -- Efforts to battle racism in 39 countries will be reviewed by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination when it meets in Geneva for its fiftieth session, from 3 to 21 March.The 18-member Committee is the oldest of a series of expert panels established to review compliance by States ratifying or acceding to international human rights agreements.
Algeria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Guatemala, Iceland, Iraq, Luxembourg, Mexico, Pakistan, Panama, Swaziland and the United Kingdom have submitted periodic reports on their efforts to put into effect the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The countries are among 148 to have ratified or acceded to the treaty, which took effect in 1969. Government delegations have been invited to introduce the reports and answer questions from Committee members.
The Committee has scheduled for discussion situations in 21 countries whose reports are termed "excessively" overdue: Afghanistan, Argentina, Bahamas, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Mongolia, Nepal, Netherlands, Niger, Philippines, Rwanda, Seychelles, Uganda and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro).
Burundi, Rwanda and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro), along with three other countries -- Liberia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia -- also will be considered under the Committee's procedure for early warning and urgent situations. The intent of the procedure is to prevent existing problems from escalating into conflicts; to begin urgent measures aimed at responding to problems requiring immediate attention; or to prevent or limit the scale or number of serious violations of the Convention.
Among other business scheduled for the session is review of the progress of the United Nations Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination; and consideration, in closed session, of complaints sent to the panel by individuals. Such complaints only may be filed against the 23 States which
have authorized the Committee to consider them under the terms of article 14 of the Convention.
Submission of Reports
Under article 9 of the Convention, States report to the Committee on legal, judicial and other measures they have adopted to ensure effective protection against racial discrimination within their jurisdictions. States parties to the Convention agree to condemn and seek to eliminate racial discrimination in their territories; to review their policies to amend or nullify any regulations which create or perpetuate such discrimination, based on racial superiority or hatred; and to prohibit organizations and activities which promote or incite racial discrimination. They also agree to provide remedies for victims of racial discrimination and to adopt measures to combat prejudice and promote understanding among different national, racial and ethnic groups.
In addition, States parties undertake to guarantee the right of everyone to equality before the law without distinction as to race, colour, or national or ethnic origin.
In the past, the Committee has called upon the Secretary-General to bring to the attention of States parties, at their annual meeting, the unfortunate consequences of delays in the submission of reports and to encourage them to consider ways and means by which all parties might be brought to fulfil their reporting obligations. The Committee has also instituted a procedure to review the implementation of the Convention in those States parties responsible for the longest delays in submitting periodic reports.
Communications under Article 14
Under article 14 of the Convention, the Committee considers communications from individuals or groups of individuals claiming to be victims of violations by States parties of any of the rights set forth in the Convention, provided the States concerned have recognized the competence of the Committee to review such complaints. The following States parties have done so: Algeria, Finland, Australia, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Russian Federation, Senegal, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine and Uruguay.
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Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination
The Committee has requested the Secretary-General to keep it informed of relevant activities undertaken in accordance with the Programme of Action for the Third Decade.
States Parties to Convention
The following 148 States are parties to the Convention: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, 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, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Holy See, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia and Libya.
Also, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, 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, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Tajikistan, 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.
Committee Membership, Officers
The members of the Committee, elected in their individual capacity, are Mahmoud Aboul-Nasr, of Egypt; Hamzat Ahmadu, of Nigeria; Michael Parker Banton, of the United Kingdom; Theodoor van Boven, of the Netherlands; Ion Diaconu, of Romania; Eduardo Ferrero Costa, of Peru; Ivan Garvalov, of Bulgaria; Régis de Gouttes, of France; Andrew Chigovera, of Zimbabwe; Carlos Lechuga Hevia, of Cuba; Yuri A. Rechetov, of the Russian Federation; Shanti Sadiq Ali, of India; Agha Shahi, of Pakistan; Michael E. Sherifis, of Cyprus; Zou Deci, of China; Luis Valencia Rodriguez, of Ecuador; Rüdiger Wolfrum, of Germany; and Mario Jorge Yutzis, of Argentina.
Mr. Banton is the Chairman. The Vice-Chairmen are Mrs. Sadiq Ali, Mr. Ferrero Costa, and Mr. Garvalov. Mr. Chigovera is the Rapporteur.
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