HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE CONTINUES CONSIDERATION OF DRAFT GENERAL COMMENT ON ARTICLE 3 OF INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS

Press Release
HR/CT/549

HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE CONTINUES CONSIDERATION OF DRAFT GENERAL COMMENT ON ARTICLE 3 OF INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS

The Human Rights Committee this morning continued its consideration of its draft general comment on article 3 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by reviewing paragraphs 1 through 8.

Article 3 states that States parties to the Covenant undertake to ensure the equal right of men and women to the enjoyment of all civil and political rights set forth in the present Covenant. The last General Comment (General Comment 4) on this article was in 1981, at the Committee’s thirteenth session.

General Comments are recommendations made by the Committee on various articles of the Covenant. Through their adoption, the Committee reiterates its desire to assist States parties in fulfilling their reporting obligations. The comments draw attention to some aspects of the treaty, but do not purport to be limiting or to attribute any priority to different aspects of the Covenant. Comments might, from time to time, be followed by others.

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 introduce their country reports and respond to oral and written questions from the Committee’s 18 members, who serve in their personal capacity. The four countries presenting reports during the current session –- Republic of Congo, United Kingdom, Mongolia and Guyana –- are among 144 States parties to the International Covenant. (For further background on the current session, see Press Release HR/CT/544 of 9 March.)

The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. on Friday, 17 March to consider the fourth periodic report of the United Kingdom (Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man) on its compliance with the International Covenant.

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