HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE CONSIDERS DRAFT GENERAL COMMENT ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN TIMES OF PUBLIC EMERGENCY

Human Rights Committee

Seventy-first Session

1902^nd Meeting (AM)

HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE CONSIDERS DRAFT GENERAL COMMENT

ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN TIMES OF PUBLIC EMERGENCY

The Human Rights Committee this morning continued its consideration of the draft General Comment on article 4 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, adopting six paragraphs of the draft.

Article 4 stipulates that in a time of public emergency which threatens the life of the nation, the States parties to the Covenant may take measures derogating from their obligations under the Covenant to the extent strictly required by the exigencies of the situation, provided that such measures are not inconsistent with their other obligations under international law and do not involve discrimination solely on the ground of race, colour, sex, language, religion or social origin.

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 limitative or to attribute any priority to different aspects of the Covenant.

The Committee adopted revised paragraphs 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 of the draft General Comment, and discussed paragraphs 3 and 9.

The Committee’s Chairman, Praffullachandra Natwarlal Bhagwati from India, informed the Committee that its Bureau had appointed Martin Scheinen from Finland as Special Rapporteur for Communications.

The Committee will meet again tomorrow, Thursday, 22 March, to continue consideration of its draft General Comment on article 4.

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