HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE APPROVES WORK PROGRAMME FOR GENEVA SESSION, TO BE HELD 14 JULY - 1 AUGUST

8 April 1997

Press Release
HR/CT/493

HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE APPROVES WORK PROGRAMME FOR GENEVA SESSION, TO BE HELD 14 JULY - 1 AUGUST

19970408 Will Consider Reports of Belarus, Congo, France, India, Slovakia On Compliance with International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

During its forthcoming session, to be held at Geneva from 14 July to 1 August, the Human Rights Committee will take up the reports of Belarus, Congo, France, India and Slovakia on their compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, according to a tentative work programme approved this morning.

Specifically, it will consider the initial report of Slovakia, the second periodic report of Congo, the third periodic report of France and the fourth reports of Belarus and India. The reports of Cyprus, Lithuania and Senegal will be held in reserve, for consideration if any of the named countries prove unable to attend.

The tentative schedule for the Committee's following session, to be held at Geneva from 20 October to 7 November, was also approved. At that time, the Committee will consider the reports of Cyprus, Iraq, Jamaica, Lithuania, Senegal and Sudan, with the reports of Finland, Iceland and Zimbabwe being held in reserve.

As a monitoring body, the Human Rights Committee periodically examines reports submitted by States parties to the Covenant on their promotion and protection of civil and political rights. Representatives of those governments introduce their country reports and respond to oral and written questions from the Committee's 18 members, who serve in their personal capacity.

During the current session, the Committee considered the reports of Bolivia, Colombia, Georgia, Lebanon and Portugal (with respect to the territory of Macau). The due dates for submission of their next periodic reports are as follows: for Portugal (on Macau), 31 December 1998; for Bolivia and Lebanon, 31 December 1999; for Georgia, 2 August 2000; and for Colombia, 12 August 2000.

The Human Rights Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. today in closed session, to be followed by an open meeting on procedural matters.

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