International Covenant on Civil

and Political Rights

34^th Meeting (PM)

States Parties to International Civil and Political Rights Covenant Elect

Mahjoub El Haiba (Morocco) to Fill Vacancy on Human Rights Committee

Acting without a vote, a meeting of States Parties to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights this afternoon elected MahjoubEl Haiba ( Morocco) to membership of the Human Rights Committee, to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Mohammed Ayat ( Morocco) from the Committee before the expiration of his term on 31 December 2012.

In a letter dated 12 August 2009, Mr. Ayat submitted his resignation from the Committee with immediate effect, prompting the Secretary-General to invite States parties to the Covenant to submit nominations to fill the vacancy for a term expiring on 31 December 2012.

Mr. El Haiba, who was nominated by Morocco, is Secretary-General of the Moroccan Advisory Council on Human Rights and a Professor of Law.  Born on 15 December 1956, he holds a PhD in Public law from the Hassan II University, Casablanca, and speaks Arabic, English and French.

The Human Rights Committee was established to monitor the implementation of the Covenant and the Protocols to the Covenant in the territory of States parties.  It comprises 18 independent experts of high moral character and recognized competence in the field of human rights.  The Committee convenes three times a year for sessions of three weeks’ duration, normally in March, at United Nations Headquarters in New York, and in July and November at the United Nations Office in Geneva.

In addition to electing Hilario G. Davide ( Philippines), by acclamation, as its Chairman, this afternoon’s meeting also elected Tofig Musayev ( Azerbaijan) as Vice-Chairman and adopted the agenda for its work for the day.

Speaking earlier, as she opened the meeting on behalf of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the Director of the New York Office of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Jessica Neuwirth, said that the States parties would meet again next September to elect nine members of the Committee to replace those whose terms of office would end on 31 December 2010.  At that meeting, she said, she would update States parties on developments regarding the Covenant and the work of the Committee.

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For information media • not an official record