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COMMITTEE ON ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION TO MEET IN GENEVA FROM 28 JULY TO 15 AUGUST 2008
24 July 2008
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Committee on the Elimination
of Racial Discrimination
24 July 2008
BACKGROUND RELEASE
Committee to Consider Reports of Ecuador, Namibia, Togo, Russian Federation,
Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Sweden
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination will hold its seventy-third session at Palais Wilson in Geneva from 28 July to 15 August 2008 to review anti-discrimination efforts undertaken by the Governments of Ecuador, Namibia, Togo, Russian Federation, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Sweden.
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 agreement, 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 Belize and Peru under its review procedure. States parties that are at least five years late for the submission of their initial or periodic 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.
During the course of the three-week session, the Committee will be briefed on follow-up activities to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action adopted at the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance.
Furthermore, 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") and will hold a thematic discussion on this subject on 4 August, with the participation of representatives from States parties, non-governmental organizations and United Nations agencies. The Committee will also examine country situations under its early warning and urgent action procedures.
At its first meeting, after adopting its agenda, the Committee will hold a dialogue with United Nations specialized agencies and other competent bodies, and, at a later date during the session, will hear a presentation of the new Human Rights Index by a representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Finally, the Committee will have before it a note by the Secretary-General (CERD/C/73/3) concerning article 15 of the Convention and listing, as appropriate, copies of petitions, reports and working papers relating to the Trusteeship Council and the Special Committee on the Situation with Regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.
Background on Reports to Be Considered at This Session
The eight States parties whose reports are being examined at the present session have previously been reviewed by the Committee.
The Committee considered the combined thirteenth to sixteenth periodic reports of Ecuador on 4 and 5 March 2003, and its concluding observations on it can be found in document CERD/C/62/CO/2; the Committee reviewed the fourth to seventh periodic reports of Namibia on 13 and 14 August 1996, and published its concluding observations in document CERD/C/304/Add.16; on 8 March 2001, in the absence of a report, the Committee reviewed the implementation of the Convention by Togo based upon its previous such review, and issued brief concluding observations in document A/56/18 (paras. 227-230); the Committee examined the fifteenth to seventeenth periodic reports of the Russian Federation on 10 and 11 March 2003, and final observations issued in document CERD/C/62/CO/7; on 13 and 14 March 2001 the Committee reviewed the fifteenth periodic report of Germany, and its concluding observations can be found in document CERD/C/304/Add.115; the fourteenth periodic report of Austria was examined on 7 and 8 March 2002, and the Committee issued its concluding observations on it in document CERD/C/60/CO/1; the Committee considered the second and third periodic reports of Switzerland on 4 and 5 March 2002, and published concluding observations on it in document CERD/C/60/CO/14; and the thirteenth and fourteenth periodic reports of Sweden were taken up by the Committee on 25 and 26 February 2004, and concluding observations issued in document CERD/C/64/CO/8.
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**For a tentative timetable of all the meetings of the Committee's seventy-third session, see document CERD/C/73/1.
Monday, 28 July
a.m. Public opening; dialogue with other UN bodies, specialized agencies or competent bodies
p.m. Ecuador: seventeenth to nineteenth periodic reports (CERD/C/ECU/19)
Tuesday, 29 July
a.m. Ecuador (continued)
p.m. Namibia: eighth to twelfth periodic reports (CERD/C/NAM/12)
Wednesday, 30 July
a.m. Namibia (continued)
p.m. Togo: sixth to seventeenth periodic reports (CERD/C/TGO/17)
Thursday, 31 July
a.m. Togo (continued)
p.m. Russian Federation: eighteenth and nineteenth periodic reports (CERD/C/RUS/19)
Monday, 4 August
a.m. Russian Federation (continued)
Tuesday, 5 August
p.m. Germany: sixteenth to eighteenth periodic reports (CERD/C/DEU/18)
Wednesday, 6 August
a.m. Germany (continued)
p.m. Belize, Peru: Review Procedure
Thursday, 7 August
p.m. Austria: fifteenth to seventeenth periodic reports (CERD/C/AUT/17)
Friday, 8 August
a.m. Austria (continued)
p.m. Switzerland: fourth to sixth periodic reports (CERD/C/CHE/6)
Monday, 11 August
a.m. Switzerland (continued)
p.m. Sweden: seventeenth and eighteenth periodic reports (CERD/C/SWE/18)
Tuesday, 12 August
a.m. Sweden (continued)
________
For use of the information media; not an official record
of Racial Discrimination
24 July 2008
BACKGROUND RELEASE
Committee to Consider Reports of Ecuador, Namibia, Togo, Russian Federation,
Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Sweden
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination will hold its seventy-third session at Palais Wilson in Geneva from 28 July to 15 August 2008 to review anti-discrimination efforts undertaken by the Governments of Ecuador, Namibia, Togo, Russian Federation, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Sweden.
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 agreement, 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 Belize and Peru under its review procedure. States parties that are at least five years late for the submission of their initial or periodic 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.
During the course of the three-week session, the Committee will be briefed on follow-up activities to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action adopted at the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance.
Furthermore, 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") and will hold a thematic discussion on this subject on 4 August, with the participation of representatives from States parties, non-governmental organizations and United Nations agencies. The Committee will also examine country situations under its early warning and urgent action procedures.
At its first meeting, after adopting its agenda, the Committee will hold a dialogue with United Nations specialized agencies and other competent bodies, and, at a later date during the session, will hear a presentation of the new Human Rights Index by a representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Finally, the Committee will have before it a note by the Secretary-General (CERD/C/73/3) concerning article 15 of the Convention and listing, as appropriate, copies of petitions, reports and working papers relating to the Trusteeship Council and the Special Committee on the Situation with Regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.
Background on Reports to Be Considered at This Session
The eight States parties whose reports are being examined at the present session have previously been reviewed by the Committee.
The Committee considered the combined thirteenth to sixteenth periodic reports of Ecuador on 4 and 5 March 2003, and its concluding observations on it can be found in document CERD/C/62/CO/2; the Committee reviewed the fourth to seventh periodic reports of Namibia on 13 and 14 August 1996, and published its concluding observations in document CERD/C/304/Add.16; on 8 March 2001, in the absence of a report, the Committee reviewed the implementation of the Convention by Togo based upon its previous such review, and issued brief concluding observations in document A/56/18 (paras. 227-230); the Committee examined the fifteenth to seventeenth periodic reports of the Russian Federation on 10 and 11 March 2003, and final observations issued in document CERD/C/62/CO/7; on 13 and 14 March 2001 the Committee reviewed the fifteenth periodic report of Germany, and its concluding observations can be found in document CERD/C/304/Add.115; the fourteenth periodic report of Austria was examined on 7 and 8 March 2002, and the Committee issued its concluding observations on it in document CERD/C/60/CO/1; the Committee considered the second and third periodic reports of Switzerland on 4 and 5 March 2002, and published concluding observations on it in document CERD/C/60/CO/14; and the thirteenth and fourteenth periodic reports of Sweden were taken up by the Committee on 25 and 26 February 2004, and concluding observations issued in document CERD/C/64/CO/8.
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**For a tentative timetable of all the meetings of the Committee's seventy-third session, see document CERD/C/73/1.
Monday, 28 July
a.m. Public opening; dialogue with other UN bodies, specialized agencies or competent bodies
p.m. Ecuador: seventeenth to nineteenth periodic reports (CERD/C/ECU/19)
Tuesday, 29 July
a.m. Ecuador (continued)
p.m. Namibia: eighth to twelfth periodic reports (CERD/C/NAM/12)
Wednesday, 30 July
a.m. Namibia (continued)
p.m. Togo: sixth to seventeenth periodic reports (CERD/C/TGO/17)
Thursday, 31 July
a.m. Togo (continued)
p.m. Russian Federation: eighteenth and nineteenth periodic reports (CERD/C/RUS/19)
Monday, 4 August
a.m. Russian Federation (continued)
Tuesday, 5 August
p.m. Germany: sixteenth to eighteenth periodic reports (CERD/C/DEU/18)
Wednesday, 6 August
a.m. Germany (continued)
p.m. Belize, Peru: Review Procedure
Thursday, 7 August
p.m. Austria: fifteenth to seventeenth periodic reports (CERD/C/AUT/17)
Friday, 8 August
a.m. Austria (continued)
p.m. Switzerland: fourth to sixth periodic reports (CERD/C/CHE/6)
Monday, 11 August
a.m. Switzerland (continued)
p.m. Sweden: seventeenth and eighteenth periodic reports (CERD/C/SWE/18)
Tuesday, 12 August
a.m. Sweden (continued)
________
For use of the information media; not an official record
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