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ANTI-RACIAL DISCRIMINATION COMMITTEE REVIEWS SITUATION IN GABON
10 August 1998
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AFTERNOON
HR/CERD/98/44
10 August 1998
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination this afternoon examined a report from the Government of Gabon in the absence of a delegation to present the report.
Earlier in the day, an official from the Permanent Mission of Gabon had announced that the delegation could not arrive in Geneva as expected for reasons beyond its control. The Committee decided to go ahead with considering the ninth periodic report of Gabon.
Peter Nobel, the Committee expert who served as country rapporteur to the report of Gabon, regretted that a Government delegation was not at hand to defend the report and answer questions. He underlined that regular reporting was a binding obligation for the State party.
Gabon is among the 150 States parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and it must submit periodic reports on the efforts to implement the provisions of the treaty. The Committee will issue its final observations on the report of Gabon towards the end of its three-week session which concludes on 21 August 1998.
Also this afternoon, the Committee continued its discussion on the consideration of reports and other documentation relating to Trust and Non-Self-Governing Territories. It agreed to adopt a General Recommendation aimed at obtaining information on the situation in the territories instead of addressing itself to individual State parties.
The Committee further briefly discussed an issue relating to the Roma people in the Czech Republic where it was reported that a problem was to be solved by separating houses where Roma people lived from other houses on one street.
Taking part in the debate were Committee members Michael P. Banton, Rüdiger Wolfrum, Luis Valencia Rodriguez, Michael E. Sherifis, Régis de Gouttes, Deci Zou, Mario Jorge Yutzis, Agha Shahi, Ivan Garvalov, Theodoor van Boven, Yuri A. Rechetov, and Ion Diaconu.
When the Committee reconvenes at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 11 August, it will meet with Mary Robinson, the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Report of Gabon
The ninth periodic report of Gabon (document CERD/C/315/Add.1) states that due to lack of human resources, the State has not been able to submit reports since 1991. It, however, affirms that racial discrimination is not a feature of Gabonese culture. Gabon was created as a result of migrations that brought together different ethnic groups, the report says. At present, the Gabonese population is composed of at least 40 ethnic entities falling into four groups. The harmonious cohabitation of those ethnic entities is therefore an age-old and daily reality. Cultural plurality is thus a geopolitical fact, the 7-page report affirms.
With regards to education, the report says that schooling in Gabon is democratic and open to all, without distinction of sex, race or religion. The gross school attendance rate is close to 100 per cent; and schooling is free and compulsory for all children up to the age of 16 years. Over the past three years, the Government has allocated 17.2 per cent of total State expenditure for national education.
Discussion of Report of Gabon
PETER NOBEL, the Committee expert who served as country rapporteur to the report of Gabon, regretted that a Government delegation was not at hand to defend the report and answer questions. He underlined that regular reporting was a binding obligation for the State party.
Mr. Nobel recalled that when the Committee examined the initial report of Gabon in 1981, the representative of that country had stated that his Government had not deemed it necessary to adopt legislative, judicial, administrative or other measures to give effect to the provisions of the International Convention. The reason given by the delegate was that no discrimination existed between the different components of the Gabonese nation. The Committee had regretted that the report did not contain any information on the measures taken by the Government of Gabon to give effect to the provisions of the International Convention.
Mr. Nobel said that the Committee, during its review of the situation of Gabon in August 1991, had wished to draw the attention of the Government to the possibility of requesting technical assistance from the United Nations Centre for Human Rights in the preparation of its report.
The expert also said that demographic information was not included in the report. Among other things, the number and status of pygmies were not indicated in the report.
Several Committee members also took the floor to express their regret at the absence of a Government delegation and the scarcity of information in the report. Some experts lauded the progress made in national education, noting that 17.2 per cent of the national budget was allocated to it. The establishment in Gabon of the Ministry of Human Rights was considered by experts as an essential achievement.
As a oil-rich country, Gabon had attracted foreigners, most of which were privileged Whites who were not subjected to racial discrimination, an expert said. He asked about how the 40 ethnic groups benefited from the country's riches. Some experts estimated that most of the 200,000 foreigners in the country were attracted by petro-dollars.
Furthermore, some Committee members were of the view that the family of the country's President occupied the highest posts in many spheres of public affairs while one ethnic group dominated the society in general.
Discussion on Non-Self-Governing Territories
Continuing its discussion on the Trust and Non-Self-Governing Territories, in accordance with article 15 of the Convention, the Committee underlined the need by States parties to include in their periodic reports the situation of territories under their trust. The Committee had already received in 1997 reports on 17 territories under article 15.
The Committee stressed that States parties exercising jurisdiction over dependent territories should be encouraged to include or to continue to include in their periodic reports relevant information on the implementation of the Convention in those territories.
The Committee agreed to adopt a General Recommendation aimed at obtaining information on the situation of the territories instead of addressing the issue to individual State parties.
Discussion of Situation in Czech Republic
Also this afternoon, the Committee discussed an issue relating to Roma people in the Czech Republic in which a problem in the town of Usti nad Labem was to be solved by the separation of houses where some Roma people lived from other houses in one street.
Some experts said that such an act, if carried out, would contravene the provisions of the Convention to which the Czech Republic was a party. The construction of such a wall to divide people on the basis of their race was definitely a sign of segregation, members declared. Such trends had amounted to apartheid and could be dangerous practice in the attempt to solve the problem of the Roma people in many countries, one expert said.
The Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Miroslav Somol, in a letter to the Committee, affirmed that no formal decision was taken as to the construction of such a wall and only ideas on how to solve the difficult situation were under discussion. Moreover, the wall was supposed to be a part of other construction, including a kindergarten for the local population.
HR/CERD/98/44
10 August 1998
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination this afternoon examined a report from the Government of Gabon in the absence of a delegation to present the report.
Earlier in the day, an official from the Permanent Mission of Gabon had announced that the delegation could not arrive in Geneva as expected for reasons beyond its control. The Committee decided to go ahead with considering the ninth periodic report of Gabon.
Peter Nobel, the Committee expert who served as country rapporteur to the report of Gabon, regretted that a Government delegation was not at hand to defend the report and answer questions. He underlined that regular reporting was a binding obligation for the State party.
Gabon is among the 150 States parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and it must submit periodic reports on the efforts to implement the provisions of the treaty. The Committee will issue its final observations on the report of Gabon towards the end of its three-week session which concludes on 21 August 1998.
Also this afternoon, the Committee continued its discussion on the consideration of reports and other documentation relating to Trust and Non-Self-Governing Territories. It agreed to adopt a General Recommendation aimed at obtaining information on the situation in the territories instead of addressing itself to individual State parties.
The Committee further briefly discussed an issue relating to the Roma people in the Czech Republic where it was reported that a problem was to be solved by separating houses where Roma people lived from other houses on one street.
Taking part in the debate were Committee members Michael P. Banton, Rüdiger Wolfrum, Luis Valencia Rodriguez, Michael E. Sherifis, Régis de Gouttes, Deci Zou, Mario Jorge Yutzis, Agha Shahi, Ivan Garvalov, Theodoor van Boven, Yuri A. Rechetov, and Ion Diaconu.
When the Committee reconvenes at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 11 August, it will meet with Mary Robinson, the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Report of Gabon
The ninth periodic report of Gabon (document CERD/C/315/Add.1) states that due to lack of human resources, the State has not been able to submit reports since 1991. It, however, affirms that racial discrimination is not a feature of Gabonese culture. Gabon was created as a result of migrations that brought together different ethnic groups, the report says. At present, the Gabonese population is composed of at least 40 ethnic entities falling into four groups. The harmonious cohabitation of those ethnic entities is therefore an age-old and daily reality. Cultural plurality is thus a geopolitical fact, the 7-page report affirms.
With regards to education, the report says that schooling in Gabon is democratic and open to all, without distinction of sex, race or religion. The gross school attendance rate is close to 100 per cent; and schooling is free and compulsory for all children up to the age of 16 years. Over the past three years, the Government has allocated 17.2 per cent of total State expenditure for national education.
Discussion of Report of Gabon
PETER NOBEL, the Committee expert who served as country rapporteur to the report of Gabon, regretted that a Government delegation was not at hand to defend the report and answer questions. He underlined that regular reporting was a binding obligation for the State party.
Mr. Nobel recalled that when the Committee examined the initial report of Gabon in 1981, the representative of that country had stated that his Government had not deemed it necessary to adopt legislative, judicial, administrative or other measures to give effect to the provisions of the International Convention. The reason given by the delegate was that no discrimination existed between the different components of the Gabonese nation. The Committee had regretted that the report did not contain any information on the measures taken by the Government of Gabon to give effect to the provisions of the International Convention.
Mr. Nobel said that the Committee, during its review of the situation of Gabon in August 1991, had wished to draw the attention of the Government to the possibility of requesting technical assistance from the United Nations Centre for Human Rights in the preparation of its report.
The expert also said that demographic information was not included in the report. Among other things, the number and status of pygmies were not indicated in the report.
Several Committee members also took the floor to express their regret at the absence of a Government delegation and the scarcity of information in the report. Some experts lauded the progress made in national education, noting that 17.2 per cent of the national budget was allocated to it. The establishment in Gabon of the Ministry of Human Rights was considered by experts as an essential achievement.
As a oil-rich country, Gabon had attracted foreigners, most of which were privileged Whites who were not subjected to racial discrimination, an expert said. He asked about how the 40 ethnic groups benefited from the country's riches. Some experts estimated that most of the 200,000 foreigners in the country were attracted by petro-dollars.
Furthermore, some Committee members were of the view that the family of the country's President occupied the highest posts in many spheres of public affairs while one ethnic group dominated the society in general.
Discussion on Non-Self-Governing Territories
Continuing its discussion on the Trust and Non-Self-Governing Territories, in accordance with article 15 of the Convention, the Committee underlined the need by States parties to include in their periodic reports the situation of territories under their trust. The Committee had already received in 1997 reports on 17 territories under article 15.
The Committee stressed that States parties exercising jurisdiction over dependent territories should be encouraged to include or to continue to include in their periodic reports relevant information on the implementation of the Convention in those territories.
The Committee agreed to adopt a General Recommendation aimed at obtaining information on the situation of the territories instead of addressing the issue to individual State parties.
Discussion of Situation in Czech Republic
Also this afternoon, the Committee discussed an issue relating to Roma people in the Czech Republic in which a problem in the town of Usti nad Labem was to be solved by the separation of houses where some Roma people lived from other houses in one street.
Some experts said that such an act, if carried out, would contravene the provisions of the Convention to which the Czech Republic was a party. The construction of such a wall to divide people on the basis of their race was definitely a sign of segregation, members declared. Such trends had amounted to apartheid and could be dangerous practice in the attempt to solve the problem of the Roma people in many countries, one expert said.
The Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Miroslav Somol, in a letter to the Committee, affirmed that no formal decision was taken as to the construction of such a wall and only ideas on how to solve the difficult situation were under discussion. Moreover, the wall was supposed to be a part of other construction, including a kindergarten for the local population.