HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE TO HOLD SEVENTY-SEVENTH SESSION

IN GENEVA FROM 17 MARCH TO 4 APRIL 2003

Experts to Examine Reports of Estonia, Luxembourg and Mali

(Reissued as received.)

FIFTY-NINTH SESSION OF COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS GENEVA,

17 MARCH TO 25 APRIL 2003

Information for Media Coverage of the Session

GENEVA, 12 March (UN Information Service) -- The Commission on Human Rights will hold its fifty-ninth session from Monday, 17 March to Friday,

COMMITTEE ON ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION OPENS

SIXTY-SECOND SESSION AT PALAIS DES NATIONS

Hears Address by High Commissioner for Human Rights

(Reissued as received.)

DEPUTY HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSIONER TO VISIT CENTRAL ASIA

The Deputy United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Bertrand Ramcharan, will undertake an official visit Central Asia from 2 to 16 March 2003, in follow up to the official visit to the region of Secretary-General Kofi Annan in October 2002.

UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON ADEQUATE HOUSING TO VISIT PERU

The Special Rapporteur on adequate housing of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Miloon Kothari, will visit Peru starting next week at the invitation of the Government.

UN EXPERT ON EXTRAJUDICIAL EXECUTIONS EXPRESSES CONCERN

OVER RECENT KILLINGS IN THAILAND

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 24 February (UN Information Service) -- The Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Asma Jahangir, has expressed deep concern at reports of more than 100 deaths in Thailand in connection with a crackdown on the drug trade.

UN SPECIAL ENVOY FOR CHILDREN AND ARMED CONFLICT ARRIVES IN SIERRA LEONE

(Received from a UN Information Officer.)

FREETOWN, 23 February -– Under-Secretary-General Olara A. Otunnu, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, arrived yesterday in Sierra Leone for a week-long visit to assess the status of war-affected children in the post-conflict peace-building phase.

Meeting of States Parties

Convention on Rights of Child

15^th & 16^th Meetings (AM & PM)

International Covenant on Civil

and Political Rights

28^th Meeting (AM)

Round-up of Session

COMMITTEE ON RIGHTS OF CHILD CONCLUDES THIRTY-SECOND SESSION

Adopts Conclusions on Reports of Estonia, Italy,

Republic of Korea, Romania, Viet Nam, Czech Republic, Haiti, Iceland

(Reissued as received.)