HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE TO HOLD SIXTIETH SESSION IN GENEVA, 14 JULY TO 1 AUGUST
Press Release
HR/CT/495
HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE TO HOLD SIXTIETH SESSION IN GENEVA, 14 JULY TO 1 AUGUST
19970711 Background Release(Reissued as received.)
GENEVA, 11 July (UN Information Service) -- The Human Rights Committee will consider reports from Slovakia, Belarus, France, Congo and India on efforts to implement the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights when it meets in Geneva from 14 July to 1 August.
The countries are among 138 States parties to the Covenant, and under the terms of the treaty must inform the Committee periodically on measures taken to put the Covenant's provisions into effect. Government delegations will be present to introduce the reports and to respond to oral and written questions from Committee members.
The Committee, which consists of 18 independent human rights experts, also will consider in closed session confidential communications sent to it by individuals claiming to be victims of violations of the rights contained in the Covenant. This procedure takes place under the First Optional Protocol to the Covenant, and is open only to persons residing in the 92 countries which are Parties to the Protocol. One hundred and fifty-four communications are pending before the Committee from earlier sessions, of which 39 may be considered for the adoption of final views. Provisional Timetable for Consideration of Reports
Slovakia (CCPR/C/81/Add.9): Tuesday, 15 July, morning and afternoon, and Wednesday, 16 July, morning; Belarus (CCPR/C/84/Add.4): Thursday, 17 July, morning and afternoon; France (CCPR/C/76/Add.7): Monday, 21 July, morning and afternoon; Congo (CCPR/C/63/Add.5): Wednesday, 23 July, morning and afternoon; India (CCPR/C/76/Add.6): Thursday, 24 July, morning and afternoon.
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
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, among other things, for freedom of movement, and places limitations upon the expulsion of aliens present lawfully in the territory of a State party. In addition, the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion and to freedom of expression are recognized by the Covenant, which also prohibits any propaganda for war or any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred.
States Parties to Covenant
The following 138 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, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait and the Kyrgyz Republic.
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, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Tajikistan, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Optional Protocols to Covenant
The first Optional Protocol to the Covenant provides for the confidential consideration of communications from individuals who claim to be victims of a violation of any of the rights proclaimed in the Covenant. No
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communications can be received by the Committee if it concerns a State party to the Covenant that is not also a party to the Optional Protocol.
The following 92 States are parties to the 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, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Finland, France, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guinea, Guyana, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Kyrgyz Republic and Latvia.
Also, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, 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, Sierra Leone, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Somalia, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Zaire and Zambia.
The second Optional Protocol to the Covenant, which aims at the 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 30 States: Australia, Austria, Croatia, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, Germany, Greece, 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.
Membership of Committee
The Committee's 18 expert members are elected by the State parties to the Covenant for a term of four years. Article 28 of the Covenant requires that "they shall be persons of high moral character and recognized competence in the field of human rights".
They are: Nisuke Ando, (Japan), Prafullachandra Natwarlal Bhagwati, (India), Thomas Buergenthal (United States), Christine Chanet (France), Lord Colville (United Kingdom), Omran El Shafei (Egypt), Elizabeth Evatt (Australia), Eckart Klein (Germany), David Kretzmer (Israel), Pilar Gaitan de Pombo (Colombia), Rajsoomer Lallah (Mauritius), Cecilia Medina Quiroga (Chile), Fausto Pocar (Italy), Julio Prado Vallejo (Ecuador), Martin Scheinin (Finland), Danilo Türk (Slovenia) and Maxwell Yalden (Canada).
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