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COMMITTEE ON ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION REVIEWS SITUATION IN HAITI
10 August 1998
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MORNING
HR/CERD/98/43
10 August 1998
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination this morning reviewed the implementation of the provisions of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination in Haiti in the absence of a representative from that country.
Carlos Lechuga Hevia, the Committee expert who served as country rapporteur on Haiti, told Committee members that the situation of human rights in that country was unsatisfactory. He said that Haiti was marked by political violence.
Committee Chairperson Mahmoud Aboul-Nasr announced that the Committee had tried on several occasions to request Haiti to send a representative to attend the meeting but that it had had no results so far. The last time the Committee considered a report of Haiti was in August 1990, also without the participation of a representative of the State. The Committee decided to go ahead with its review because the reporting country was excessively overdue in presenting its report.
As one of the 150 States parties to the International Convention, Haiti must submit reports on its efforts to implement the treaty.
Also this morning, the Committee discussed the status of reports in application of article 15 of the International Convention which concerns peoples and territories still under colonialism. Under this article, the Committee should include in its report to the General Assembly a summary of the petitions and reports it had received from United Nations bodies, as well as its own recommendations.
United Nations Information Service at Geneva Press Releases are available on the Internet at the following address: http://www.unog.ch
During the discussion on Trust and Non-Self-Governing Territories, the Committee stressed that special attention should be paid to the situation in New Caledonia, East Timor and the Western Sahara, among others.
Participating in the discussion this morning were Committee experts Yuri A. Rechetov, Luis Valencia Rodriguez, Régis de Gouttes, Mario Jorge Yutzis, Gay McDougall, Theodoor van Boven, Ion Diaconu, Rüdiger Wolfrum, Michael E. Sherifis and Agha Shahi.
When the Committee reconvenes at 3 p.m., it will take up the report of Gabon.
Review of Situation in Haiti
CARLOS LECHUGA HEVIA, the Committee expert who served as country rapporteur on Haiti, said the human rights situation in that country was far from satisfactory. The country was unstable politically and economically. The political crisis had persisted with the apparent division and rivalry of the two major political parties.
Haiti was still affected by political violence, Mr. Lechuga Hevia went on to state. No efforts were exerted to improve illiteracy which affected over 60 per cent of the population of approximately seven million persons. Economically, Haiti was one of the poorest nations in the world and the Government was not engaged in programmes to ameliorate the situation. Around 41 per cent of the country's riches was held by one per cent of the population.
Mr. Lechuga Hevia further said that although 95 per cent of the population was of African descent, Whites dominated economically and in social spheres, leaving the majority of the population to suffer from poverty. Although Haiti's population was composed of Blacks, Whites, Asians and others, there was a tendency to discriminate against a specific segment of the population, particularly Blacks. The 1987 Constitution did not specifically prohibit discrimination based on race or sex and only provided for equal opportunity for work and equality of sex, he said.
Mr. Lechuga Hevia said that slavery was still practised in Haiti, with some 300,000 children as victims of this practice. Those children were subjected to work for long hours and without proper food, he added.
Other Committee members also spoke on the situation, stressing the need to pay special attention to Haiti and to urge the Government to seek and use the advisory services provided by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human
Rights. Without such assistance, Haiti might omit its international obligations in implementing the International Convention. Several experts requested further information on how the Government was implementing the recommendations of the "Truth and Justice Commission of Haiti" to reform the judiciary and the police.
One Committee expert deplored that those responsible for human rights violations rarely appeared before courts; and that impunity was enjoyed by police and prison guards. The Government of Haiti should provide the Committee with information depicting the complete picture of the country.
Discussion on Trust and Non-Self-Governing Territories
THEODOOR VAN BOVEN, Committee expert, introduced his report on the situation in Trust and Non-Self-Governing Territories and said that he had grouped the territories into the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Territories, including Gibraltar; Pacific and Indian Ocean Territories; and African Territories. He said he had examined the report of the Special Committee on the Situation in Trust and Non-Self Governing Territories with regards to the implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, in conformity with article 15 of the Convention.
Mr. van Boven underlined that from the perspective of relations between races, and human rights and the right to self-determination, the situation in at least three territories merited special attention and monitoring: New Caledonia, East Timor and Western Sahara. He said that New Caledonia should be dealt with in connection with the periodic report of France, which was overdue. The situation in East Timor was evolving positively, he said.
HR/CERD/98/43
10 August 1998
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination this morning reviewed the implementation of the provisions of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination in Haiti in the absence of a representative from that country.
Carlos Lechuga Hevia, the Committee expert who served as country rapporteur on Haiti, told Committee members that the situation of human rights in that country was unsatisfactory. He said that Haiti was marked by political violence.
Committee Chairperson Mahmoud Aboul-Nasr announced that the Committee had tried on several occasions to request Haiti to send a representative to attend the meeting but that it had had no results so far. The last time the Committee considered a report of Haiti was in August 1990, also without the participation of a representative of the State. The Committee decided to go ahead with its review because the reporting country was excessively overdue in presenting its report.
As one of the 150 States parties to the International Convention, Haiti must submit reports on its efforts to implement the treaty.
Also this morning, the Committee discussed the status of reports in application of article 15 of the International Convention which concerns peoples and territories still under colonialism. Under this article, the Committee should include in its report to the General Assembly a summary of the petitions and reports it had received from United Nations bodies, as well as its own recommendations.
United Nations Information Service at Geneva Press Releases are available on the Internet at the following address: http://www.unog.ch
During the discussion on Trust and Non-Self-Governing Territories, the Committee stressed that special attention should be paid to the situation in New Caledonia, East Timor and the Western Sahara, among others.
Participating in the discussion this morning were Committee experts Yuri A. Rechetov, Luis Valencia Rodriguez, Régis de Gouttes, Mario Jorge Yutzis, Gay McDougall, Theodoor van Boven, Ion Diaconu, Rüdiger Wolfrum, Michael E. Sherifis and Agha Shahi.
When the Committee reconvenes at 3 p.m., it will take up the report of Gabon.
Review of Situation in Haiti
CARLOS LECHUGA HEVIA, the Committee expert who served as country rapporteur on Haiti, said the human rights situation in that country was far from satisfactory. The country was unstable politically and economically. The political crisis had persisted with the apparent division and rivalry of the two major political parties.
Haiti was still affected by political violence, Mr. Lechuga Hevia went on to state. No efforts were exerted to improve illiteracy which affected over 60 per cent of the population of approximately seven million persons. Economically, Haiti was one of the poorest nations in the world and the Government was not engaged in programmes to ameliorate the situation. Around 41 per cent of the country's riches was held by one per cent of the population.
Mr. Lechuga Hevia further said that although 95 per cent of the population was of African descent, Whites dominated economically and in social spheres, leaving the majority of the population to suffer from poverty. Although Haiti's population was composed of Blacks, Whites, Asians and others, there was a tendency to discriminate against a specific segment of the population, particularly Blacks. The 1987 Constitution did not specifically prohibit discrimination based on race or sex and only provided for equal opportunity for work and equality of sex, he said.
Mr. Lechuga Hevia said that slavery was still practised in Haiti, with some 300,000 children as victims of this practice. Those children were subjected to work for long hours and without proper food, he added.
Other Committee members also spoke on the situation, stressing the need to pay special attention to Haiti and to urge the Government to seek and use the advisory services provided by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human
Rights. Without such assistance, Haiti might omit its international obligations in implementing the International Convention. Several experts requested further information on how the Government was implementing the recommendations of the "Truth and Justice Commission of Haiti" to reform the judiciary and the police.
One Committee expert deplored that those responsible for human rights violations rarely appeared before courts; and that impunity was enjoyed by police and prison guards. The Government of Haiti should provide the Committee with information depicting the complete picture of the country.
Discussion on Trust and Non-Self-Governing Territories
THEODOOR VAN BOVEN, Committee expert, introduced his report on the situation in Trust and Non-Self-Governing Territories and said that he had grouped the territories into the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Territories, including Gibraltar; Pacific and Indian Ocean Territories; and African Territories. He said he had examined the report of the Special Committee on the Situation in Trust and Non-Self Governing Territories with regards to the implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, in conformity with article 15 of the Convention.
Mr. van Boven underlined that from the perspective of relations between races, and human rights and the right to self-determination, the situation in at least three territories merited special attention and monitoring: New Caledonia, East Timor and Western Sahara. He said that New Caledonia should be dealt with in connection with the periodic report of France, which was overdue. The situation in East Timor was evolving positively, he said.