UN Human Rights Committee to review Slovakia, Poland, Moldova, Jamaica, Colombia, Azerbaijan, Morocco

GENEVA (10 October 2016) – The UN Human Rights Committee, which monitors  implementation by States of one of the main international human rights treaties, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), is meeting in Geneva from 17 October to 4 November. 

The Committee will review these countries on the following dates:  Slovakia (17-18 Oct); Poland (17-18 Oct); Moldova (18-19 Oct); Jamaica (18-19 Oct); Colombia (19-20 Oct); Azerbaijan (20-21 Oct); Morocco (24-25 Oct).

The above are among the 168 States that have ratified the ICCPR and so are required to be reviewed regularly by the Committee of 18 international independent experts. The Committee will also hear from NGOs and national human rights institutions.

The public sessions, which will be webcast at http://webtv.un.org/, will take place from 10:00 - 13:00 and 15:00 - 18:00 at Palais Wilson, Geneva:
Ground floor: Slovakia (17-18 October); Moldova (18-19 October); Colombia (19-20 October); Azerbaijan (29-21 October); Morocco (24-25 October)

First floor: Poland (17-18 October); Jamaica (18-19 October)

More information, including submitted reports by the States, here: http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=1034&Lang=en

The Committee will hold a press conference on Friday 4 November at 13:30 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva to discuss its findings on the above countries. The findings, officially known as concluding observations, will be published here on 4 November. http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=1034&Lang=en

ENDS

For more information and media requests, please contact: Liz Throssell +41 (0) 22 917 9466 / +41 79 752 0488 ethrossell@ohchr.org

Background

Human Rights Committee members are independent human rights experts drawn from around the world, who serve in their personal capacity and not as representatives of States parties. The Committee’s concluding observations are an independent assessment of States’ compliance with their human rights obligations under the treaty. More information:  http://www.ohchr.org/en/treaty-bodies/ccpr

50 years of the International Bill of Human Rights

2016 marks the 50th anniversary of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). These treaties, together with the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, form the International Bill of Rights. A campaign by the UN Human Rights Office, entitled “Our Rights, Our Freedoms, Always”, is running throughout the year to promote and raise awareness of the two treaties, focussing on the timeless themes of rights and freedoms, in particular freedom from fear, freedom of speech, freedom of worship and freedom from want. Check the campaign website at http://2covenants.ohchr.org

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