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COMMITTEE ON ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION DISCUSSES ISSUES PERTAINING TO METHODS OF WORK
05 August 1998
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AFTERNOON
HR/CERD/98/38
5 August 1998
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination this afternoon continued its discussion on matters related to examining reports and conducting dialogues with Government delegations.
The Committee was also briefed on the activities of other human rights organs by its members who served as liaison officers.
Mahmoud Aboul-Nasr, the Chairperson of the Committee, announced that Mary Robinson, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, had expressed her wish to meet the members on Tuesday, 11 August, instead of Friday, 7 August.
Taking the floor during this afternoon’s debate were Michael Parker Banton, Theodore van Boven, Ion Diaconu, Ivan Garvalov, Yuri A. Rechetov, Michael E. Sherifis, Mario Jorge Yutzis, Régis de Gouttes, Gay McDougall, Shanti Sadiq Ali, and Peter Nobel.
The panel will reconvene at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 6 August, to continue its discussion on short notice agenda items.
Discussion
Committee expert Michael Parker Banton introduced a proposal paper on procedures of the Committee pertaining to the practice of considering State reports; reviewing implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination whose reports were overdue by five years or more; and acting under its procedure for prevention of racial discrimination, including early warning and urgent procedures.
The paper stated that under initial and periodic reports, since ethnic and racial conflicts could escalate quickly, the Committee believed that it would be undesirable for any backlog of unconsidered reports to develop. Therefore, the Committee tried to allow the most time for the consideration of initial reports and more time for comprehensive periodic reports than for updating periodic reports.
The Committee also discussed the administrative and financial implications of the necessity to extend one session by five working days to keep abreast of its increasing workload and to respond adequately to the current discussions on the reporting process.
Also this afternoon, Committee members exchanged views on the holding of its winter sessions at the United Nations Headquarters in New Years in order to discharge their responsibilities under the Convention. The Committee would continue to hold its other sessions at the United Nations Office at Geneva. Some experts were of the view that holding such meetings in New York might keep them far away from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights with which they had direct links during their meetings in Geneva.
The Committee was also briefed on the liaison activities of its members with other human rights organs. Committee expert Michael E. Sherifis gave an account of his contacts, saying that he had been in touch with the 50-member Commonwealth of Nations, which had accomplished important work in the elimination of racial discrimination.
Committee expert Shanti Sadiq Ali, briefing the Committee on the activities of the Working Group on the Draft Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, said that the Group was progressing in its undertakings in drafting the Declaration. The Declaration was intended to foster indigenous peoples's rights and to enable them to exercise the right to self-determination, she said. So far only two articles providing for the equality of sexes and the right to all indigenous people to have a nationality were adopted, she added.
Committee member Régis de Gouttes explained to the Committee the activities of the Commission Against Racism created by the Council of Europe. He said the Commission had adopted a series of measures ranging from protection of rights of gypsies in many European States to measures to combat racism through the Internet. It had also made recommendations after having considered reports of States members of the Council on their efforts against racism and xenophobia in their respective countries.
Committee expert Yuri A. Rechetov also briefed the Committee on the activities of the Council of the Baltic States, which he said had accomplished a great deal of work towards the protection of national minorities in the region. States members were obliged to submit periodic report to the Council on the measures adopted by their respective Governments in promoting the rights of minorities. Although many of the recommendations were implemented by the States, only Estonia did not follow the recommendations of the Council to enact laws which respected the rights of minorities, he said.
HR/CERD/98/38
5 August 1998
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination this afternoon continued its discussion on matters related to examining reports and conducting dialogues with Government delegations.
The Committee was also briefed on the activities of other human rights organs by its members who served as liaison officers.
Mahmoud Aboul-Nasr, the Chairperson of the Committee, announced that Mary Robinson, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, had expressed her wish to meet the members on Tuesday, 11 August, instead of Friday, 7 August.
Taking the floor during this afternoon’s debate were Michael Parker Banton, Theodore van Boven, Ion Diaconu, Ivan Garvalov, Yuri A. Rechetov, Michael E. Sherifis, Mario Jorge Yutzis, Régis de Gouttes, Gay McDougall, Shanti Sadiq Ali, and Peter Nobel.
The panel will reconvene at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 6 August, to continue its discussion on short notice agenda items.
Discussion
Committee expert Michael Parker Banton introduced a proposal paper on procedures of the Committee pertaining to the practice of considering State reports; reviewing implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination whose reports were overdue by five years or more; and acting under its procedure for prevention of racial discrimination, including early warning and urgent procedures.
The paper stated that under initial and periodic reports, since ethnic and racial conflicts could escalate quickly, the Committee believed that it would be undesirable for any backlog of unconsidered reports to develop. Therefore, the Committee tried to allow the most time for the consideration of initial reports and more time for comprehensive periodic reports than for updating periodic reports.
The Committee also discussed the administrative and financial implications of the necessity to extend one session by five working days to keep abreast of its increasing workload and to respond adequately to the current discussions on the reporting process.
Also this afternoon, Committee members exchanged views on the holding of its winter sessions at the United Nations Headquarters in New Years in order to discharge their responsibilities under the Convention. The Committee would continue to hold its other sessions at the United Nations Office at Geneva. Some experts were of the view that holding such meetings in New York might keep them far away from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights with which they had direct links during their meetings in Geneva.
The Committee was also briefed on the liaison activities of its members with other human rights organs. Committee expert Michael E. Sherifis gave an account of his contacts, saying that he had been in touch with the 50-member Commonwealth of Nations, which had accomplished important work in the elimination of racial discrimination.
Committee expert Shanti Sadiq Ali, briefing the Committee on the activities of the Working Group on the Draft Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, said that the Group was progressing in its undertakings in drafting the Declaration. The Declaration was intended to foster indigenous peoples's rights and to enable them to exercise the right to self-determination, she said. So far only two articles providing for the equality of sexes and the right to all indigenous people to have a nationality were adopted, she added.
Committee member Régis de Gouttes explained to the Committee the activities of the Commission Against Racism created by the Council of Europe. He said the Commission had adopted a series of measures ranging from protection of rights of gypsies in many European States to measures to combat racism through the Internet. It had also made recommendations after having considered reports of States members of the Council on their efforts against racism and xenophobia in their respective countries.
Committee expert Yuri A. Rechetov also briefed the Committee on the activities of the Council of the Baltic States, which he said had accomplished a great deal of work towards the protection of national minorities in the region. States members were obliged to submit periodic report to the Council on the measures adopted by their respective Governments in promoting the rights of minorities. Although many of the recommendations were implemented by the States, only Estonia did not follow the recommendations of the Council to enact laws which respected the rights of minorities, he said.