Welcome to the United Nations 
OHCHR 
Press releases Treaty bodies
Default title
06 March 2001
Share
CERD
58th session
6 March 2001
Morning
Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights says Momentum Could be
Gained due to Millennium Summit, World Conference against Racism
Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Bertrand Ramcharan this morning told the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination that last September's Millennium Summit and the upcoming World Conference against Racism could provide a rare opportunity to galvanise political momentum towards the goal of universal ratification of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
Mr. Ramcharan said the World Conference against Racism, which will be held later this year in South Africa, had the potential to be among the most significant gatherings at the beginning of the century. The World Conference could shape and embody the spirit of the new century, based on the shared conviction that all the people in world were members of the same human family.
Ramcharan's remarks came at the opening of the Committee's fifty-eighth session, in which the panel, over the next three weeks, will examine reports of several countries concerning how they implement the provisions of the Convention.
Algeria, Argentina, Bangladesh, Georgia, Greece, Iceland, Japan, Portugal and Sudan will send Government delegations to introduce their reports to the Committee's Experts. The Committee will draft conclusions and recommendations on each of the reports based on the presentations of the delegations and the following discussions.
In addition, the Committee will look into the state of affairs in Gambia, Jamaica, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. These States parties have previously submitted reports to the Committee, but their periodic reports are seriously overdue.
The Committee had also planned to investigate the status of implementation of the convention in Fiji, but that country requested a postponement of the review until a later session. Similar requests from Cote d'Ivoire and the Lao People's Democratic Republic were outstanding. Qatar was also scheduled to be reviewed, but it only recently submitted its report to the secretariat. The report will be considered during the Committee's August session.
Also this morning, the Committee addressed organizational matters, including welcoming two new Committee members. Tang Chengyuan of China and Patrick Thornberry of the United Kingdom were added to the Committee after the resignation of Deci Zou and Michael Banton. In addition, Marc Bossuyt of Belgium was elected Rapporteur, replacing Mr. Banton. The Committee also adopted its provisional agenda this morning.
When the Committee resumes its work at 3 p.m. today, it will begin consideration of the fifteenth periodic report of Argentina.
Statement by the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights
BERTRAND RAMCHARAN, the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the Committee was the first expert committee in the history of the United Nations to begin the process of considering reports and watching the implementation of major international treaties. It had a very special place in the human rights programme of the United Nations.
The Millennium Summit and the upcoming World Conference against Racism provided a rare opportunity to galvanise political momentum towards the goal of universal ratification of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. While there were some encouraging signs, there was a considerable way to go. There were 157 States that were parties to the Convention. The High Commissioner had recently written a letter urging all States that had not signed the convention or made a declaration on article 14 to do so as soon as possible.
The turn of the century represented a watershed in the fight against racism, in all its ancient and contemporary manifestations. The problems of racism, racial discrimination and racially motivated violence seemed to have compounded in the globalized age, in ways which stretched the creative capacities and collective determination of the international community to respond. The World Conference had the potential to be among the most significant gatherings at the beginning of the century. It could shape and embody the spirit of the new century, based on the shared conviction that all the people in the world were members of the same human family.
* *** *
58th session
6 March 2001
Morning
Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights says Momentum Could be
Gained due to Millennium Summit, World Conference against Racism
Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Bertrand Ramcharan this morning told the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination that last September's Millennium Summit and the upcoming World Conference against Racism could provide a rare opportunity to galvanise political momentum towards the goal of universal ratification of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
Mr. Ramcharan said the World Conference against Racism, which will be held later this year in South Africa, had the potential to be among the most significant gatherings at the beginning of the century. The World Conference could shape and embody the spirit of the new century, based on the shared conviction that all the people in world were members of the same human family.
Ramcharan's remarks came at the opening of the Committee's fifty-eighth session, in which the panel, over the next three weeks, will examine reports of several countries concerning how they implement the provisions of the Convention.
Algeria, Argentina, Bangladesh, Georgia, Greece, Iceland, Japan, Portugal and Sudan will send Government delegations to introduce their reports to the Committee's Experts. The Committee will draft conclusions and recommendations on each of the reports based on the presentations of the delegations and the following discussions.
In addition, the Committee will look into the state of affairs in Gambia, Jamaica, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. These States parties have previously submitted reports to the Committee, but their periodic reports are seriously overdue.
The Committee had also planned to investigate the status of implementation of the convention in Fiji, but that country requested a postponement of the review until a later session. Similar requests from Cote d'Ivoire and the Lao People's Democratic Republic were outstanding. Qatar was also scheduled to be reviewed, but it only recently submitted its report to the secretariat. The report will be considered during the Committee's August session.
Also this morning, the Committee addressed organizational matters, including welcoming two new Committee members. Tang Chengyuan of China and Patrick Thornberry of the United Kingdom were added to the Committee after the resignation of Deci Zou and Michael Banton. In addition, Marc Bossuyt of Belgium was elected Rapporteur, replacing Mr. Banton. The Committee also adopted its provisional agenda this morning.
When the Committee resumes its work at 3 p.m. today, it will begin consideration of the fifteenth periodic report of Argentina.
Statement by the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights
BERTRAND RAMCHARAN, the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the Committee was the first expert committee in the history of the United Nations to begin the process of considering reports and watching the implementation of major international treaties. It had a very special place in the human rights programme of the United Nations.
The Millennium Summit and the upcoming World Conference against Racism provided a rare opportunity to galvanise political momentum towards the goal of universal ratification of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. While there were some encouraging signs, there was a considerable way to go. There were 157 States that were parties to the Convention. The High Commissioner had recently written a letter urging all States that had not signed the convention or made a declaration on article 14 to do so as soon as possible.
The turn of the century represented a watershed in the fight against racism, in all its ancient and contemporary manifestations. The problems of racism, racial discrimination and racially motivated violence seemed to have compounded in the globalized age, in ways which stretched the creative capacities and collective determination of the international community to respond. The World Conference had the potential to be among the most significant gatherings at the beginning of the century. It could shape and embody the spirit of the new century, based on the shared conviction that all the people in the world were members of the same human family.
* *** *