Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination opens ninety-first session

Committee on the Elimination 
  of Racial Discrimination 

21 November 2016

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination this morning opened its ninety-first session, hearing an address by Paulo David, Chief of the Capacity Building and Harmonization Section of the Human Rights Treaties Branch of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.  The Committee also adopted its agenda for the session, during which it will review anti-discrimination efforts undertaken by Argentina, Uruguay, Togo, Portugal, Turkmenistan and Italy.

Mr. David, in his remarks, said that as one of the outcomes of the treaty body strengthening process, the Treaty Body Capacity Building Programme had been created at the beginning of 2015.  For the first time the Office of the High Commissioner had a properly resourced one-Office support function on engagement with the treaty bodies, and there was a team of 10 staff in its 10 regional offices, and six staff in Geneva.  The Programme was currently finalizing its work on a general treaty reporting manual and trainers’ guide, and had commenced work on treaty specific training manuals and trainers’ guides on the two Covenants.  Some 170 State officials from 77 countries had become trainer trainers on treaty reporting and part of a network of State officials within their sub-regions.  The Programme was maintaining a community of practice with all State officials trained.  News from the treaty body system was shared with the respective community of practices at least once a month.  Additionally, State officials from some 50 countries had increased their knowledge and skills on the human rights treaties as well as treaty body reporting skills further to activities conducted at the national level.

The technical assistance provided by the Programme had resulted in the submission of some outstanding State party reports.  The Programme was currently working with some 20 countries on the submission of outstanding reports to different treaty bodies.  A number of responses had been submitted to list of issues, and some constructive dialogues before Committees had been improved.  A number of countries had expressed an increased interest in establishing a national mechanism for reporting and follow-up; the Programme had launched a practical guide and study on national mechanisms for reporting and follow-up.   The Programme was currently working with 12 countries in establishing such mechanisms, and assisting 14 other countries on the effective functioning of their existing mechanisms.  The Guide defined a national mechanism for reporting and follow-up as a “permanent national governmental mechanism or structure that was mandated to coordinate and prepare to and engage with international and regional human rights mechanisms, and to coordinate and track national follow-up and implementation of the treaty obligations and the recommendations emanating from those mechanisms.” It was fundamental that a national mechanism be standing, with dedicated and continuous staff, and benefiting from a comprehensive formal legislative or policy mandate.  Its effectiveness was measured by its engagement, coordination, consultation and information management capacities.  Mr. David stressed that national mechanisms for reporting and follow-up had the potential to become one of the key components of the national human rights protection system.     

Anastasia Crickley, Committee Chairperson, said that the Committee was placing significant emphasis on the need for follow-up.  She felt very strongly that the current times were very specific when it came to the realization of human rights and addressing racism and racial discrimination.  There were ongoing concerns regarding ongoing situations in Mosul (Iraq), Yemen, Burundi, Ukraine, Myanmar, Calais (France) and the United States, to name just a few places.  Human rights abuses had become more and more visible, including in the United Kingdom following the Brexit vote.  Some hope remained, nonetheless.  Ms. Crickley believed that the inhumanity and the lack of rights were nothing new, but had come home to roost in recent months.  The Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination provided an adequate framework for combatting that scourge; the problem was sidestepping from one’s responsibilities.  The current rise in racism and racial discrimination posed immediate challenges for the Committee, which could not stand idly, taking care of business as usual.  A very explicit and thorough focus on follow-up was indeed necessary, said Ms. Crickley.  The Committee needed to focus on early warning mechanisms.  The Sustainable Development Goals had to be included in the Committee’s examinations.  More needed to be done to promote the understanding of racial discrimination and to raise the profile of the Convention and the work of the Committee. 

A Committee Expert asked about the relationship between the practical guide and study on national mechanisms for reporting and follow-up and their regular work.  Another Expert stressed the urgency of the Committee’s work.  How could the Committee help eliminate racial discrimination in practice, she wondered.  The United States was currently in a situation of a virtual civil war, with a President-elect who had run on an openly racist platform.  The Expert urged the Committee to step out of protocols and confines, and become more proactive as the world was literally falling apart.  Sending decisions or opinions to governments that did not read them was not effective; more needed to be done.  A Committee Member noted that racial discrimination and racism were global phenomena of which now there seemed to be more awareness than before; collective efforts had to be made and no one could afford to sit on their laurels.  Innovative and creative ways of acting ought to be found.  Another global conference on racism could be very timely under the current circumstances.  Another Expert said that the global rise of racism and xenophobia could be traced back to the beginning of the so-called “Arab Spring”.  The United Nations alone could not eradicate racism in the world; the Committee had a moral legitimacy granted to it by the text of the Convention, whose objective was to overcome the question of race.  Ms. Crickley agreed that the Committee itself could not eliminate racial discrimination, but it could certainly do its best to contribute to that goal. 

The Committee then proceeded to adopt the agenda and the programme of work of the ninety-first session. 

More information on this session can be found at its webpage.  

The Committee will next meet in public on Tuesday, 22 November at 10 a.m. for an informal dialogue with non-governmental organizations from Argentina and Uruguay, whose reports will be considered this week.

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