Briefing note, 8 April 1998

Geneva, 8 April 1998


John Mills, media officer for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said next week would see an abundance of Special Rapporteurs. He would be consulting with the Correspondents' Association to see which rapporteurs the press was most interested in seeing in order to schedule press briefings. There would be a full list of which rapporteurs would be here and when. Correspondents interested in speaking to rapporteurs should contact his office.

The Commission on Human Rights would meet until 9 p.m. today, said Mr. Mills. This morning's meeting would be a continuation of the debate on the further promotion of human rights and the question of advisory services; there was a massive list of speakers. This afternoon and this evening, the Commission would take up its 1503 procedure, a confidential mechanism. Tomorrow morning, the Chairman would announce the names of the countries whose human rights situations were considered under the 1503 procedure. He would also announce which situations the Commission decided to discontinue consideration of.

Mona Rishmawi, the independent expert on Somalia, would hold a press briefing at noon, Mr. Mills said.

Jiri Dientsbier, Special Rapporteur on human rights in the former Yugoslavia, arrived in Belgrade on Sunday, he said. The Special Rapporteur had held meetings with the Foreign Minister and other officials of the former Yugoslavia. On Monday, Mr. Dientsbier had gone to Pristina, where he had met Mr Rugova, the representative of the Kosovar Albanian community, and others before returning to Belgrade yesterday afternoon. He would leave the country later today. The Special Rapporteur's report to the Commission would be released early next week before the Commission took up the item. The report would be an annex to a letter to the Chairman of the Commission.

In response to a question, Mr. Mills agreed that it was not geographically ideal to appoint a Special Rapporteur for the former Yugoslavia who was based in Los Angeles, as Mr. Dientsbier was. This wasn't a permanent arrangement. Mr. Dientsbier had a teaching commitment for this semester; he had been appointed rather late, and he had agreed to that appointment before the very serious developments in Kosovo had broken out, which had added the current sense of urgency to his mandate. He had broken his teaching commitments to carry out a mission to the region in order that there would be an up to date report before the Commission. Mr Mills admitted the situation was not ideal situation, but the Commission's needs to be informed by its own mechanisms was being achieved. It was regrettable he would not be here but the Commission would have a report, which would probably be out Tuesday morning.

In answer to another question, Mr. Mills said Mr. Dientsbier would not be able to speak before the Commission at this session.

As to whether the Commission was still running to schedule, Mr Mills said there was some surprise at the large size of the list of speakers for the two items being considered presently, and that the extra meetings (tonight and Thursday evening) had been added in order to accommodate that list. He believed the Chairman's desire was to have the Commission back on schedule by the start of consideration of specific country situations next week.

Asked whether the High Commissioner planned to take action on the situation in Latvia, in particular the recent bomb near a synagogue, Mr Mills said the current events in Latvia were being watched closely. The Office had worked with the Government of Latvia is setting up an independent human rights commission which had, as part of its mandate, concern for the status of minorities in the country. The recent developments had been raised in meetings with the High Commissioner during the Commission and would continue to be watched.