Background Release

SUBCOMMISSION ON PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

TO MEET IN GENEVA, 28 JULY TO 15 AUGUST

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 24 July (UN Information Service) -- The Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, the Commission on Human Rights' principal subsidiary organ, will hold its fifty-fifth session at the Palais des Nations in Geneva from 28 July to 15 August.

Created by the Commission on Human Rights in 1947, the Subcommission is made up of 26 Experts from five regional groups.  According to its mandate, it undertakes studies and makes recommendations to the Commission.  One of its jobs is to explore issues that are considered important and have not received sufficient attention.

Among the issues on its provisional agenda for this year's session, which will be adopted at the opening meeting, the Subcommission will be examining, among other things, questions related to the administration of justice; economic, social and cultural rights; prevention of discrimination; protection of the rights of indigenous peoples, minorities, and women; slavery; and terrorism.

Concerning the prevention of discrimination, the Subcommission will have before it, among other things, the report of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations on its twentieth session; a working paper on indigenous peoples' permanent sovereignty over natural resources; the report of the Working Group on Minorities on its eighth session; the final report on the concept and practice of affirmative action; and a progress report on the rights of persons who are not citizens in the country in which they live.

With regards to women's issues, the Subcommission will have before it an updated report on traditional practices affecting the health of women and the girl child; and a report of the Secretary-General on the situation of women and girls in the territories controlled by Afghan armed groups.

On slavery, the Subcommission will be considering, among other things, a report of the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery on its twenty-seventh session held in May 2002, and a report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the issues of systematic rape, sexual slavery and slavery-like practices during armed conflicts.

A progress report on terrorism and human rights will also be presented.

Reports concerning economic, social and cultural rights include a preliminary report on the promotion of the realization of the right to drinking water and sanitation; the report of the sessional Working Group on the working methods and activities of transnational corporations; and a joint working paper on the implementation of existing human rights norms and standards in the context of the fight against extreme poverty.  The Subcommission will also have before it a preliminary working paper on the methodology and work of its Social Forum.

With regard to the administration of justice, the Subcommission will be reviewing an updated report on the administration of justice through military tribunals; and a final working paper on discrimination in the criminal justice system.

Concerning other human rights issues, there is a working paper on human rights and weapons of mass destruction, or with indiscriminate effect, or of a nature to cause superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering.

Questions to be Examined During Session of Subcommission

Prevention of Discrimination

Under this agenda item, the Subcommission will discuss follow-up to the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance.

It will have before it the report of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations on its twentieth session (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2002/24), which is scheduled to be held from 23 to 27 July 2002.  The mandate of the Working Group is to review developments pertaining to the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples and to give special attention to the evolution of standards concerning indigenous rights.  It will also consider a working paper by Erica-Irene Daes on indigenous peoples' permanent sovereignty over natural resources (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2002/23), which is based on her study on indigenous peoples and their relationship to land.

Concerning the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People, the Subcommission will have before it the report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2002/20) in her capacity as Coordinator for the Decade.

With regard to the rights of minorities, the Subcommission will have before it the report of a regional seminar on Afro-descendants in the Americas which was held in Honduras in March 2002.  It will also review the report of the Working Group on Minorities on its eighth session (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2002/19) which was held from 27 to 31 May 2002.  The mandate of the Working Group is to review the promotion and practical realization of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, and to examine solutions to problems involving minorities.

The Subcommission will have before it the final report of its Special Rapporteur Marc Bossuyt on the concept and practice of affirmative action (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2002/21).

On the rights of non-citizens, the Subcommission will be considering a progress report by its Special Rapporteur David Weissbrodt on the rights of persons who are not citizens in the country in which they live.

Women

The Subcommission will have before it the updated report of its Special Rapporteur Halima Embarek Warzazi on traditional practices affecting the health of women and the girl child (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2002/32).  It will also consider the report of the Secretary-General on the situation of women and girls in the territories controlled by Afghan armed groups (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2002/27).

Slavery

Under this agenda sub-item, the Subcommission will have before it the report of the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery on its twenty-seventh session held in May 2002 (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2002/23).  The mandate of the Working Group is to review developments in the field of slavery and the slave trade in all their practices and manifestations, including the slavery-like practices of apartheid and colonialism, the traffic in persons and the exploitation of the prostitution of others.  It will also consider the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Elimination of the Exploitation of Child Labour (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2002/2).  The Subcommission will also continue to examine the situation and activities of the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery.  And it will be considering the report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the issues of systematic rape, sexual slavery and slavery-like practices during armed conflicts (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2002/28).

Terrorism and Human Rights

The Subcommission will have before it the second progress report of its Special Rapporteur Kalliopi Koufa who is conducting a comprehensive study on terrorism and human rights on the basis of her working paper (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2002/35).

Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Under this agenda item, the Subcommission will be have before it the preliminary report of its Special Rapporteur El Hadji Guisse on the promotion of the realization of the right to drinking water and sanitation (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2002/10); and the report of the sessional Working Group on the working methods and activities of transnational corporations (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2002/13).

The Subcommission will also be considering the report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the human rights implications of liberalization of trade in services, particularly in the framework of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS); and a joint working paper by Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, Yozo Yokota, El Hadji Guisse, and Jose Bengoa on the implementation of existing human rights norms and standards in the context of the fight against extreme poverty (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2002/15).

It will have before it the report of the Secretary-General on the realization of the right to development (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2002/8); and a preliminary working paper by Jose Bengoa on the methodology and work of the Social Forum (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2002/3) and the report of the Social Forum (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2002/18).

The Subcommission will also be considering issues relating to globalization and its impact on the full enjoyment of all human rights; the optional protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; and intellectual property rights and human rights.

Administration of Justice

Under this agenda item, the Subcommission will have before it an updated report by Louis Joinet on the administration of justice through military tribunals (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2002/4); and the final working paper by Leila Zerrougui on discrimination in the criminal justice system (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2002/5).

It will also continue to consider the question of human rights and states of emergency.

Other Human Rights Issues

The Subcommission will be considering a working paper by Y.K.J. Sik Yuen on human rights and weapons of mass destruction, or with indiscriminate effect, or of a nature to cause superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2002/38).

Under this agenda item, the Subcommission will consider issues related to international protection for refugees; state cooperation with United Nations human rights mechanisms; and human rights and human responsibilities.

Question of Violation of Human Rights, Fundamental Freedoms in All Countries

In its resolution 2002/66, the Commission on Human Rights welcomed the steps undertaken by the Subcommission to reform and improve its agenda and reiterated that the Subcommission should not adopt country-specific resolutions and, in negotiating and adopting thematic resolutions, should refrain from including references to specific countries.  It also reiterated that the Subcommission should continue to be able to debate country situations not being dealt with in the Commission, as well as urgent matters involving serious violations of human rights in any country.  Under this issue, the Subcommission will have before it a note by the secretariat on human rights situations being considered by the Commission under public procedures for dealing with human rights violations (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2002/42).

Membership of Subcommission

The members and alternates (*) of the Subcommission are Miguel Alfonso Martinez, *Juan Antonio Fernandez Palacios (Cuba); Jose Bengoa (Chile); Chen Shiqiu, *Liu Xinsheng (China); Emmanuel Decaux, *Michele Picard (France); Rui Baltazar Dos Santos Alves, *Cristiano Dos Santos (Mozambique); Asbjorn Eide, *Jan Helgesen (Norway); El Hadji Guisse (Senegal); Francoise Jane Hampson (United Kingdom); Fried van Hoof, *Lammy Betten (Netherlands); Vladimir Kartashkin, *Oleg S. Malguinov (Russian Federation); Kalliopi Koufa, *Nikolaos Zaikos (Greece); Antoanella-Iulia Motoc, *Victoria Sandru-Popescu (Romania); Florizelle O'Connor (Jamaica); Stanislav Ogurtsov (Belarus); Soo Gil Park, *Chin Sung Chung (Republic of Korea); Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, *Marilia Sardenberg Zelner Goncalves (Brazil); Godfrey Bayour Preware, *Christy Ezim Mbonu (Nigeria); Lalaina Rakotoarisoa (Madagascar); Manuel Rodriguez-Cuadros (Peru); Abdel Sattar, *Khaled Aziz Babar (Pakistan); Soli Jehangir Sorabjee (India); Halima Embarek Warzazi (Morocco); David Weissbrodt, *Barbara Frey (the United States); Fisseha Yimer (Ethiopia); Yozo Yokota, *Yoshiko Terao (Japan); and Leila Zerrougui (Algeria).

Working Groups

Working Group on Indigenous Populations

Working Group on Minorities

Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery

Sessional Working Group on Administration of Justice

Sessional Working Group on the Working Methods and Activities of Transnational Corporations

Subcommission Special Rapporteurs

Special Rapporteur on traditional practices               Halima Embarek Warzazi

affecting the health of women and girl children                           

Special Rapporteur on terrorism and human rights            Kalliopi Koufa

Special Rapporteur on the concept and practice                Marc Bossuyt

of affirmative action

Special Rapporteurs on globalization and its impact            Joseph Oloka-Onyango

on the full enjoyment of all human rights                        and Deepika Udagama

Special Rapporteur on the rights of non-citizens            David Weissbrodt

Special Rapporteur on human rights                              Miguel Alfonso

and human responsibilities                                Martinez

Special Rapporteur on the right to drinking water      El Hadji Guisse

and sanitation

Other Subcommission Members Asked to Prepare Studies

Joint working paper on the need to develop                 Paulo Sergio Pinheiro,

guiding principles on implementation of existing          Yozo Yokota, El Hadji

human rights norms and standards in the context            Guisse, and Jose

of the fight against extreme poverty                       Bengoa

Working Paper on non-discrimination as enshrined         Fried van Hoof

in article 2, paragraph 2, of the International

Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Working paper on the methodology and work                      Jose Bengoa

of the Social Forum

Working paper on return of refugees' or displaced         Paulo Sergio Pinheiro

persons' property

Updated report on the evolution of the administration          Louis Joinet

of justice through military tribunals

Final working paper on discrimination in the criminal          Leila Zerrougui

justice system

Working paper on the scope of the activities              Francoise Jane Hampson

and the accountability of armed forces, United Nations

civilian police, international civil servants and experts

taking part in peace support operations

Working paper on reservations to human rights treaties      Francoise Jane Hampson

Working paper on the Universal Declaration on the Human      Antoanella-Iulia Motoc

Genome and Human Rights as the contribution of the

Subcommission to the reflections of the International

Bioethics Committee on the follow-up to the Universal

Declaration

Expanded working paper on measures provided in the various      Manuel Rodriguez-

international human rights instruments for the promotion      Cuadros

and consolidation of democracy

Working paper assessing the utility, scope and structure      Y.K.J. Sik Yuen

of a study on the real and potential dangers to the

effective enjoyment of human rights posed by the testing,

production, storage, transfer, trafficking or use of

weapons of mass destruction, or with indiscriminate effect,

or of a nature to cause superfluous injury or unnecessary

suffering, including the use of weapons containing depleted

uranium

Working paper on the question of (a) the trade and         Barbara Frey

carrying of small arms and light weapons and (b) the use

of such weapons in the context of human rights and

humanitarian norms

Research documents on the subject of the working methods      Asbjorn Eide and

and activities of transnational corporations                   David Weissbrodt

Update to the study on peaceful and constructive            Asbjorn Eide

approaches to situations involving minorities

Working paper on indigenous peoples' permanent sovereignty      Erica-Irene Daes

over natural resources

Expanded working paper on the topic of discrimination          Rajendra Kalidaas

based on work and descent in other regions of the world      Wimala Goonesekere

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