HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE DISCUSSES REPORT OF CHAIRPERSONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS TREATY BODIES

Press Release
HR/CT/568

HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE DISCUSSES REPORT OF CHAIRPERSONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS TREATY BODIES

GENEVA, 10 July (UN Information Service) -- The Human Rights Committee this afternoon briefly discussed the report of the chairpersons of the human rights treaty bodies who held their twelfth meeting at Geneva from 5 to 8 June 2000.

Committee Chairperson Cecilia Medina Quiroga, who participated in the meeting together with other persons chairing the treaty bodies, introduced the report which contained 88 paragraphs. Special rapporteurs and representatives of the United Nations bodies also took in the meeting.

In the course of the discussion, some experts expressed the view that the meeting of the chairpersons should come out with concrete plans of action to be taken in order to avoid overlapping of efforts by the different treaty bodies.

In their recommendations, the chairpersons agreed on the need to consider harmonizing practices with regard to the examination of State party reports, including periodically, whenever that was possible.

Before adjourning its afternoon meeting, the Committee went into private session to consider pending communications which it received from individuals claiming that their rights under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights were violated by their respective States. Concerned by that procedure were States that recognized the competence of the Committee to receive communications under the first Optional Protocol to the Covenant.

When the Committee reconvenes at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 11 July, it will take up the initial report of Kyrgyzstan (CCPR/C/113/Add.1).

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