COMMITTEE AGAINST TORTURE BRIEFED ON PREPARATION PROCESS FOR WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

CAT
26th session
1 May 2001
Afternoon






The Committee against Torture this afternoon was briefed on the ongoing preparatory process for the forthcoming World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, to be held in Durban, South Africa.

The Committee was briefed by Robert Husbands, Deputy Coordinator of the World Conference against Racism, who said that the preparatory process for the Conference was under way. A document containing proposals which was prepared by the Committee would be submitted to the preparatory committee of the Conference to be included as an official document.

Mr. Husbands said that in the preparatory process, a number of propositions had been left out from the compilation. However, a complete compilation of documents would be prepared by the Secretariat of the World Conference and it would be approved by the Bureau which would meet tomorrow. From 21 May to 1 June 2001, the last session of the preparatory committee would take place. The World Conference would be held from 31 August to 7 September 2001.

The preparatory committee would review the draft declaration and programme of action to adopted by the World Conference. Committee Experts could participate in the discussion to propose specific and general propositions. They could also participate, as observers, in the NGO forum, Mr. Husbands added. The Experts of Committees, including the Committee against Torture, could also participate in the drafting process and in the debate of the plenary.

An Expert said that she was puzzled by the status of the documentation; the document of the Committee had been sent six months ago; and it was not yet translated into the different working languages. The United Nations had the facility for translation; and it was difficult to observe that the three-page document had not yet been translated. The Committee against Torture understood that racism and racial discriminations were grounds for torture. Administrative measures had to be taken in line with the translation of the document.

Mr. Husbands said that there was no sufficient recourse to accomplish certain tasks.

The Committee continued its meeting in closed session to examine individual communications presented under article 22 of the Convention. When it reconvenes in public at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 2 May, it will start its consideration of the third periodic report of Greece (CAT/C/39/Add. 3).



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