HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE OPENS SESSION, ADOPTS AGENDA, WORK PROGRAMME

Press Release
HR/CT/545

HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE OPENS SESSION, ADOPTS AGENDA, WORK PROGRAMME

The Human Rights Committee this morning adopted its agenda and programme of work, as orally revised, as it began its sixty-eighth session. The Committee will consider reports submitted by the Governments of the Republic of the Congo, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Mongolia and Guyana on their compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Elissavet Stamatopoulou, of the New York Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR), spoke on behalf of the High Commissioner, Mary Robinson. She said Mrs. Robinson looked forward to the adoption of General Comment 28 on gender equality, hopefully during the current session and in time for the Beijing plus 5 follow-up conference. The adoption of General Comment 29 on measures that can be taken by States parties in the event of a public emergency would also be welcome, in light of the continuing problem of the derogation of human rights in states of emergency.

Regarding the forthcoming World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance to be held in South Africa in 2001, she said a general comment by the Committee, with a focus on racial discrimination and xenophobia, could be a possible contribution. It was important that human rights laws were further developed and that gross violations were rejected in law and practice, she added. The procedure of follow-ups of views under the Optional Protocol thus deserved to be strengthened. A procedure for the follow- up of concluding observations should be developed and put into practice. The continuing problem of overdue reports was still a matter of concern.

Eckart Klein of Germany, rapporteur on the activities of the working group on article 40 (reporting of States parties), said the group had taken up drafts on communications and lists of issues. It heard from representatives of intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations during its deliberations and adopted recommendations on the lists of issues on Australia, Ireland, Kuwait and Kyrgyzstan.

The rapporteur of the working group on communications, David Kretzmer of Israel, said the group had adopted one decision on admissibility, as well as four recommendations on inadmissibility and seven recommendations on views of the Committee.

Human Rights Committee - 2 - Press Release HR/CT/545 1st Meeting (AM) 13 March 2000

The Acting Chairman, Elizabeth Evatt of Australia, drew attention to a revised draft general comment on article 4 (measures which can be taken by States parties in the event of a public emergency) and other documents before the Committee.

The five countries presenting reports during the current session are among the 144 States parties to the International Covenant. The Committee, as a monitoring body, periodically examines reports submitted by States parties on their promotion and protection of civil and political rights. Representatives of those governments will introduce their country reports and respond to oral and written questions from the Committee’s 18 members, who serve in their personal capacity. (For background information on the current session, see Press Release HR/CT/544 of 9 March.)

The Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. today to begin its consideration of the Republic of Congo’s compliance with the Covenant.

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