COMMITTEE ON ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION TO MEET IN GENEVA FROM 16 FEBRUARY TO 6 MARCH 2009

Committee on the Elimination
of Racial Discrimination
BACKGROUND RELEASE

12 February 2009




The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination will hold its seventy-fourth session at the Palais Wilson in Geneva from 16 February to 6 March 2009 to review anti-discrimination efforts undertaken by the Governments of Tunisia, Bulgaria, Congo, Pakistan, Turkey, Suriname, Finland, Croatia, and Montenegro.

These countries are among the 173 States parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination. The 18-member Committee, the first body created by the United Nations to review actions by States to fulfil obligations under a specific human rights treaty, examines reports submitted periodically by States parties on efforts to comply with the Convention. Government representatives generally present the report, discuss its contents with Committee members, and answer questions.

At this session, the Experts will also look at the implementation of the Convention in Gambia under its review procedure. States parties that are at least five years late for the submission of their reports to the Committee may be scheduled for consideration under this procedure, by which the implementation of the Convention in the States parties concerned is considered in the absence of a report. In addition, the Committee will consider a number of situations under its Early Warning and Urgent Action Procedure.

During the course of the three-week session, the Committee will continue its consideration of a draft general recommendation on special measures (i.e. measures to secure adequate advancement of certain racial or ethnic groups or individuals to ensure their equal enjoyment or exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms; sometimes known as "affirmative action").

At its first meeting, after the opening of the session by the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the adoption of the agenda, the Committee will hold a dialogue with United Nations specialized agencies and other competent bodies.

Background on Reports to Be Considered at This Session

Among the nine States parties whose reports are being examined at the present session have previously been reviewed by the Committee.

The Committee considered the thirteenth to seventeenth periodic reports of Tunisia on 6 and 7 March 2003, and its concluding observations can be found in document CERD/C/62/CO/10. The Committee considered the twelfth to fourteenth periodic reports of Bulgaria on 17 and 18 March 1997, and its concluding observations can be found in document CERD/C/304/Add.29. The Committee considered the tenth to fourteenth periodic reports of Pakistan on 11 and 12 March 1997, and its concluding observations can be found in document CERD/C/304/Add.25. The Committee considered the first to tenth periodic reports of Suriname on 23 and 24 February 2004, and its concluding observations can be found in document CERD/C/64/CO/9. The Committee considered the sixteenth periodic report of Finland on 14 and 15 August 2003, and its concluding observations can be found in document CERD/C/63/CO/5. The Committee considered the fourth and fifth periodic reports of Croatia on 6 and 7 March 2002, and its concluding observations can be found in document CERD/C/60/CO/4.

Congo, Turkey and Montenegro are submitting initial reports.

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination

Adopted in 1965 by the General Assembly, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination entered into force 4 January 1969. The Convention defines racial discrimination as any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life.

Under the Convention, States parties commit themselves to condemn racial discrimination and undertake to pursue by all appropriate means and without delay a policy of eliminating racial discrimination in all its forms and promoting understanding among all races. To that end, each State Party undertakes to engage in no act or practice of racial discrimination against persons, groups of persons or institutions and to en sure that all public authorities and public institutions, national and local, shall act in conformity with this obligation; not to sponsor, defend or support racial discrimination by any persons or organizations; to take effective measures to review governmental, national and local policies, and to amend, rescind or nullify any laws and regulations which have the effect of creating or perpetuating racial discrimination wherever it exists; to prohibit and bring to an end, by all appropriate means, including legislation as required by circumstances, racial discrimination by any persons, group or organization; to encourage, where appropriate, integrationist multiracial organizations and movements and other means of eliminating barriers between races, and to discourage anything which tends to strengthen racial division.

In accordance with article 4, States parties also undertake to condemn all propaganda and all organizations which are based on ideas or theories of superiority of one race or group of persons of one colour or ethnic origin, or which attempt to justify or promote racial hatred and discrimination in any form, and undertake to adopt immediate and positive measures designed to eradicate all incitement to, or acts of, such discrimination.

States parties, by virtue of article 9, undertake to submit a report on the legislative, judicial, administrative or other measures which they have adopted and which give effect to the provisions of this Convention. To ensure the implementation and the respect of their obligations under the Convention by States parties, the Convention establishes the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to examine the reports presented by States parties.

In addition, as provided in article 14, a State Party may at any time declare that it recognizes the competence of the Committee to receive and consider communications from individuals or groups of individuals within its jurisdiction claiming to be victims of a violation by that State Party of any of the rights set forth in this Convention. No communication shall be received by the Committee if it concerns a State party that has not made such a declaration. To date 53 States parties have made a declaration under this article.

States Parties to the Convention

At present, the following 173 States are parties to the Convention: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Equatorial Guinea, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Germany, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Communications Under Article 14

Under article 14 of the Convention, the Committee considers communications from individuals or groups of individuals claiming to be victims of a violation by States parties of any of the rights set forth in the Convention, provided the States concerned have recognized the competence of the Committee in this regard. The following 53 States parties have already done so: Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Senegal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Ukraine, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Committee Membership

The members of the Committee, elected in their individual capacity, are: Mahmoud Aboul-Nasr (Egypt); Nourredine Amir (Algeria); Alexei Avtonomov (Russian Federation); Jose Francisco Cali Tzay (Guatemala); Fatima-Binta Victoire Dah (Burkina Faso); Régis de Gouttes (France); Ion Diaconu (Romania); Kokou Mawuena Ika Kana (Dieudonné) Ewomsan (Togo); Huang Yong'an (China); Anwar Kemal (Pakistan); Dilip Lahiri (India); José Augusto Lindgren Alves (Brazil); Pastor Elias Murillo Martinez (Colombia); Chris Maina Peter (Tanzania); Pierre-Richard Prosper (United States); Linos Alexander Sicilianos (Greece); and Patrick Thornberry (United Kingdom).

Ms. Dah is the Chairperson of the Committee.



Timetable for Opening Meeting and Consideration of State Party Reports

Monday, 16 February

a.m. Opening of Session; Adoption of agenda; Dialogue with United Nations specialized agencies and other competent bodies

p.m. Tunisia 18th to 19th periodic reports (CERD/C/TUN/19)

Tuesday, 17 February

a.m. Tunisia

p.m. Bulgaria 15th to 19th periodic report (CERD/C/BGR/19)

Wednesday, 18 February

a.m. Bulgaria

p.m. Congo Initial report (CERD/C/COG/9)

Thursday, 19 February

a.m. Congo

p.m. Pakistan 15th to 20th periodic report (CERD/C/PAK/20)

Friday, 20 February

a.m. Pakistan

Monday, 23 February

p.m. Turkey Initial report (CERD/C/TUR/3)

Tuesday, 24 February

a.m. Turkey

p.m. Suriname 11th and 12th Periodic reports (CERD/C/SUR/12)


Wednesday, 25 February

a.m. Suriname

p.m. Finland 17th to 19th periodic reports (CERD/C/FIN/19)


Thursday, 26 February

a.m. Finland

p.m. Croatia 6th to 8th periodic report (CERD/C/HRV/8)


Friday, 27 February

a.m. Croatia

p.m. Review countries: Gambia/Panama; Early warning and urgent action procedures; Follow-up procedure

Monday, 2 March

a.m. Presentation of reports by members on inter-sessional activities; Preparatory process for Durban Review Conference; Universal Periodic Review process;

p.m. Montenegro Initial Report

Tuesday, 3 March

a.m. Montenegro

Friday 6, March

p.m. Closing session

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For use of the information media; not an official record