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COMMITTEE AGAINST TORTURE OPENS THIRTY-SIXTH SESSION
01 May 2006
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1 May 2006
Hears Address by Representative of Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights;
Elects Bureau; Adopts Agenda and Programme of Work
The Committee against Torture this morning opened its thirty-sixth session by hearing an address by a representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and adopting its agenda and programme of work.
The Committee elected its Bureau, naming Andreas Mavrommatis as Chairperson; Guibril Camara, Alexander Kovalev and Claudio Grossman as Vice-Chairpersons; and Felice Gaer as Rapporteur.
Jane Connors, Senior Human Rights Officer at the Treaties and Commission Branch of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and representative of the Secretary-General to the thirty-sixth session of the Committee against Torture, said that as a result of the adoption of an historic General Assembly resolution in March, a new Human Rights Council would replace the Commission on Human Rights. While it was not certain at this stage what impact that would have on the work of the treaty bodies, the High Commissioner believed that the universal review mechanism was likely to bring considerable attention to their work, for it would be natural for a human rights review to begin with the independent assessment made by international expert bodies.
The Committee also heard solemn declarations by four newly elected members, Essadia Belmir (Morocco), Alexander Kovalev (Russian Federation), Nora Sveaass (Norway) and Xuexian Wang (China), who were elected on 30 November 2005.
Over the course of its three-week session, the Committee will review measures undertaken by Peru, Georgia, Guatemala, the United States, Qatar, Togo and the Republic of Korea to prevent and punish acts of torture. These countries are among the 141 States parties to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
When the Committee meets again in public at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 2 May, it is scheduled to take up the fourth periodic report of Peru (CAT/C/61/Add.2).
Statement by Representative of Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights
JANE CONNORS, Senior Human Rights Officer at the Treaties and Commission Branch of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and Representative of the Secretary-General to the Thirty-sixth Session of the Committee against Torture, said as a result of the adoption of an historic General Assembly resolution in March, a new Human Rights Council would replace the Commission on Human Rights. While it was not certain at this stage what impact that would have on the work of the treaty bodies, Ms. Connors said that the High Commissioner believed that the universal review mechanism was likely to bring considerable attention to their work, for it would be natural for a human rights review to begin with the independent assessment made by international expert bodies.
Ms. Connors was pleased to inform members that, after initial consultations with the treaty bodies and other actors, the High Commissioner had now finalized her concept paper for a unified standing treaty body. The report had been sent to all members and the High Commissioner would very much welcome any reactions and suggestions that members might have on her paper. The issue would be discussed during the fifth inter-committee meeting and eighteenth meeting of chairpersons for human rights treaty bodies from 19 to 23 June 2006. The Government of Liechtenstein had offered to host an informal brainstorming meeting on the paper from 14 to 16 July 2006. An intergovernmental consultation of States parties would then be convened in the second week of December this year to discuss options for that reform.
While discussion of the High Commissioner's proposals on a unified standing treaty body were ongoing, efforts to strengthen the human rights treaty reporting system initiated pursuant to the Secretary-General's 2002 reform proposals were continuing. In addition to the meeting mentioned above on harmonized reporting guidelines, the Inter-Committee and chairpersons' meetings requested that a meeting be scheduled to discuss the approach of treaty bodies to reservations. That meeting was scheduled to be held on 8 and 9 June 2006.
It was the hope of the Office of the High Commissioner and its firm commitment that, with the widest possible contributions, and in particular members' inputs and unique expertise, the reform process would achieve its fundamental goal: better protection of rights' holders through a strengthened treaty monitoring system.
Turning to the Committee's work during the current session, Ms. Connors said she would like to highlight some of the issues before the Committee. Members would have the task of examining seven State party reports, including Georgia, Guatemala, Peru, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, Togo and the United States of America -- all of them complex countries, she noted. In addition, members would continue work under articles 20 and 22 of the Convention. They would also adopt lists of issues to be addressed by State parties whose reports would be examined next November.
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For use of the information media; not an official record
Hears Address by Representative of Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights;
Elects Bureau; Adopts Agenda and Programme of Work
The Committee against Torture this morning opened its thirty-sixth session by hearing an address by a representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and adopting its agenda and programme of work.
The Committee elected its Bureau, naming Andreas Mavrommatis as Chairperson; Guibril Camara, Alexander Kovalev and Claudio Grossman as Vice-Chairpersons; and Felice Gaer as Rapporteur.
Jane Connors, Senior Human Rights Officer at the Treaties and Commission Branch of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and representative of the Secretary-General to the thirty-sixth session of the Committee against Torture, said that as a result of the adoption of an historic General Assembly resolution in March, a new Human Rights Council would replace the Commission on Human Rights. While it was not certain at this stage what impact that would have on the work of the treaty bodies, the High Commissioner believed that the universal review mechanism was likely to bring considerable attention to their work, for it would be natural for a human rights review to begin with the independent assessment made by international expert bodies.
The Committee also heard solemn declarations by four newly elected members, Essadia Belmir (Morocco), Alexander Kovalev (Russian Federation), Nora Sveaass (Norway) and Xuexian Wang (China), who were elected on 30 November 2005.
Over the course of its three-week session, the Committee will review measures undertaken by Peru, Georgia, Guatemala, the United States, Qatar, Togo and the Republic of Korea to prevent and punish acts of torture. These countries are among the 141 States parties to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
When the Committee meets again in public at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 2 May, it is scheduled to take up the fourth periodic report of Peru (CAT/C/61/Add.2).
Statement by Representative of Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights
JANE CONNORS, Senior Human Rights Officer at the Treaties and Commission Branch of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and Representative of the Secretary-General to the Thirty-sixth Session of the Committee against Torture, said as a result of the adoption of an historic General Assembly resolution in March, a new Human Rights Council would replace the Commission on Human Rights. While it was not certain at this stage what impact that would have on the work of the treaty bodies, Ms. Connors said that the High Commissioner believed that the universal review mechanism was likely to bring considerable attention to their work, for it would be natural for a human rights review to begin with the independent assessment made by international expert bodies.
Ms. Connors was pleased to inform members that, after initial consultations with the treaty bodies and other actors, the High Commissioner had now finalized her concept paper for a unified standing treaty body. The report had been sent to all members and the High Commissioner would very much welcome any reactions and suggestions that members might have on her paper. The issue would be discussed during the fifth inter-committee meeting and eighteenth meeting of chairpersons for human rights treaty bodies from 19 to 23 June 2006. The Government of Liechtenstein had offered to host an informal brainstorming meeting on the paper from 14 to 16 July 2006. An intergovernmental consultation of States parties would then be convened in the second week of December this year to discuss options for that reform.
While discussion of the High Commissioner's proposals on a unified standing treaty body were ongoing, efforts to strengthen the human rights treaty reporting system initiated pursuant to the Secretary-General's 2002 reform proposals were continuing. In addition to the meeting mentioned above on harmonized reporting guidelines, the Inter-Committee and chairpersons' meetings requested that a meeting be scheduled to discuss the approach of treaty bodies to reservations. That meeting was scheduled to be held on 8 and 9 June 2006.
It was the hope of the Office of the High Commissioner and its firm commitment that, with the widest possible contributions, and in particular members' inputs and unique expertise, the reform process would achieve its fundamental goal: better protection of rights' holders through a strengthened treaty monitoring system.
Turning to the Committee's work during the current session, Ms. Connors said she would like to highlight some of the issues before the Committee. Members would have the task of examining seven State party reports, including Georgia, Guatemala, Peru, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, Togo and the United States of America -- all of them complex countries, she noted. In addition, members would continue work under articles 20 and 22 of the Convention. They would also adopt lists of issues to be addressed by State parties whose reports would be examined next November.
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For use of the information media; not an official record