Briefing note, 27 February 1998

27 February 1998


John Mills, the media officer for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said Mrs. Robinson would this afternoon leave Geneva for a two-day visit to Tehran. The purpose of her visit was to open the sixth workshop on Regional Human Rights Arrangements in the Asia Pacific Region to be held in Tehran from 28 February to 2 March.

The workshop would bring together representatives from 33 governments along with representatives of national human rights institutions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) active in the region. The aim of the workshop was to adopt if possible a framework regional programme on technical cooperation in human rights. Earlier meetings had made some progress and agreed that such a programme would be a significant step. Mrs. Robinson's programme included meetings with the President of Iran, H.E. Mohammad Khatami; the Foreign Minister, Mr. Khamal Kharrazi; and heads of United Nations agencies and local NGOs.

Mr. Mills said that available in the press room this morning was a statement by Mr. Philip Alston, the Chair of the Meeting of the Chairpersons for Treaty Bodies, and Mr. Paolo Pinheiro, the Chair of the Special Rapporteurs Group, on the situation of their colleague, Mr. Param Cumaraswamy. He recalled the statement by the High Commissioner on this same issue last week.

Mr. Mills noted that the Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination started its meeting next Monday. The first country to be reviewed by the Committee was the Russian Federation with its 14th periodic report. CERD would then look at the reports of Congo, Mauritania, Haiti, Ghana and Switzerland in the coming days.

A correspondent said that the background press release on CERD had mentioned Israel and asked if the schedule had been changed. Mr. Mills said that if he had gone on to the next group of countries, they would have included Israel. The Committee would look at Israel on 4 March, i.e. after the next media briefing.

After the briefing, Mr Mills was asked by correspondents if the workshop in Tehran might be used to improve the perception of Iran's human rights record, Mr Mills said the High Commissioner would take advantage of opportunities during her visit to raise human rights concerns in Iran.

However, Mr Mills said the focus of her visit was the workshop. The High Commissioner's visit was not a substitute for a visit by the special representative, Maurice Copithorne (Canada). The High Commissioner was pleased to receive assurances from the Government that Mr Copithorne would be able to visit Iran - a visit in May-June was being discussed.