CONSIDERATION OF ARTICLE 3 OF CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS TREATY CONTINUES IN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION

Press Release
HR/CT/554

CONSIDERATION OF ARTICLE 3 OF CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS TREATY CONTINUES IN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION

The Human Rights Committee this morning reviewed paragraphs 24, 25 and 26 of article 3 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as part of its continued consideration of a draft general comment on that article.

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, made 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.

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 Covenant. (For further background 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 Mongolia’s fourth periodic report on compliance with the Covenant.

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* The 1823rd Meeting was closed.