HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE OPENS EIGHTY-FOURTH SESSION

 

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 11 July (UN Information Service) -- The Human Rights Committee, which reviews the implementation of the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by its 153 States parties, this morning opened its eighty-fourth session, hearing an address by the Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, following which it adopted the agenda and programme of work of the session.

The Committee was addressed by Eric Tistounet, the Representative of High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour, who said that the concluding observations of the Committee on the reports submitted would be of particular use for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), both at headquarters and in the field, as well as for other United Nations bodies and other partners in the formulation and implementation of strategic human rights country engagements.  The dynamic and creative approach by which the Committee interpreted and developed the contents of the Covenant’s provisions was also a source of inspiration and of great expectations.

Mr. Tistounet also addressed the issue of the reform of the United Nations system, noting that the human rights system as a whole should be strengthened in order to ensure better implementation of fundamental freedoms and rights worldwide.  In that context and for that purpose, the High Commissioner had elaborated the OHCHR Plan of Action, which set out a strategy to deal with the key challenge of implementation, focusing on two overarching goals:  protecting human rights and empowering people to assert and claim their rights, and looked forward to working with the Committee in implementing the vision expressed in this plan.

In her introductory remarks, Committee Chairperson Christine Chanet said the statement made by Mr. Tistounet was very helpful.  It would be interesting to look at the international jurisdiction regarding human rights matters.  Preparations for the meeting with the High Commissioner would be made carefully and within the context of the Plan of Action. 

Sir Nigel Rodney, Chairperson-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Communications, also presented the report of the Working Group to the Committee, noting that the meeting had been the first in which new procedures were applied, and that 17 communications had been deemed inadmissible.

The Committee will be addressed on Wednesday, 20 July, by the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

When the Committee reconvenes at 3 p.m., it will begin its consideration of the fourth periodic report of Yemen (document CCPR/C/YEM/2004/4).

Statement by Representative of High Commissioner for Human Rights

ERIC TISTOUNET, Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, brought a number of developments to the attention of the Committee which had happened since the March-April session which was held at Headquarters, including that Honduras had become the 105th State party to the Optional Protocol to the Covenant.  The Central African Republic had submitted its second periodic report, Madagascar its third, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo its third to seventh reports.

During this session, Mr. Tistounet said, the Committee would consider five States parties’ reports, and the concluding observations on those reports would assist the States parties concerned in developing legislation, policies and programmes in the field of human rights.  At the same time, they would be of particular use for the Office, both at headquarters and in the field, as well as for other United Nations bodies and other partners in the formulation and implementation of strategic human rights country engagements.  The follow-up procedure to concluding observations established by the Committee had continued to be productive.  The Office had also been actively engaged in strengthening the implementation of treaty bodies’ recommendations through various projects.

The dynamic and creative approach by which the Committee interpreted and developed the contents of the Covenant’s provisions was also a source of inspiration and of great expectations.  The OHCHR was looking forward to the results of the proceedings regarding the interpretation of the right to fair trial, which would guide the Office in the formulation and implementation of effective responses to the main human rights challenges such as discrimination, armed conflict and violence, impunity, democratic deficits and institutional weaknesses.

The intensive efforts put forward by the Committee and their results through case law, general comments and concluding observations should be translated into concrete and effective enjoyment of human rights by all at the local level, he said.  The whole United Nations human rights system, including the Office, as well as human rights bodies and mechanisms, should be strengthened in order to ensure better implementation of fundamental freedoms and rights worldwide.  In that context and for that purpose, the High Commissioner had elaborated the OHCHR Plan of Action, which set out a strategy to deal with the key challenge of implementation, focusing on two overarching goals:  protecting human rights and empowering people to assert and claim their rights.  It included several proposals relating, in particular, to the treaty body system in order to better support it and make it more effective.  The High Commissioner had spoken about this Plan of Action to the Committee on 27 May 2005, and looked forward to working with the Committee in implementing the vision expressed in this plan.

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