HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION CHAIRMAN APPOINTS RAPPORTEURS AND EXPERTS

HR/98/62
28 August 1998


The Chairman of the fifty-fourth session of the Commission on Human Rights, Jacob Selebi of South Africa, has appointed special rapporteurs, independent experts or experts whose mandates were established at the last session of the main United Nations human rights body. The Chairman has also appointed two special rapporteurs to replace experts who had resigned their posts.

The Chairman's appointments are as follows:

Charif Bassiouni (United States/Egypt) to the post of Expert to prepare a revised version of the basic principles and guidelines on the right to restitution, compensation and rehabilitation for victims of grave violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Mr Bassiouni has been a professor of Law at DePaul University since 1964, and President of the International Institute of Higher Studies in Criminal Sciences in Siracusa, Italy, since 1988. He is the author and editor of numerous books on United States criminal law, international and comparative criminal law and human rights, and many related articles. In 1996 he was elected Vice-Chairman of the General Assembly's Preparatory Committee on the Establishment of an International Criminal Court.

Reinaldo Figueredo (Venezuela) to the post of Special Rapporteur on the effects of foreign debt on the full enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights. Mr Figueredo has been a member of the Truth Commission in El Salvador with the United Nations. He has also held posts with the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and has been a member of the National Congress.

Leonardo Franco (Argentina) to the post of Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Sudan to succeed Gaspar Biro. With extensive experience in the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Mr. Franco also directed the human rights verification mission in Guatemala, MINUGUA, from 1994 to 1996 before returning to Geneva as Special Adviser to the High Commissioner.

Asma Jahangir (Pakistan) to the post of Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. Ms Jahangir has been an lawyer with the Supreme Court of Pakistan since 1992. Her publications include papers on child labour, bonded labour and slavery, women's empowerment, gender and justice, the independence of the judiciary, and strategies for human rights and the electoral process in Pakistan.

Anne-Marie Lizin (Belgium) to the post of Independent Expert on the question of human rights and extreme poverty. Ms Lizin is member of the External Affairs Committee of the French Community of Belgium. She has been a visiting professor of external economic relations, at the University of Liege, since 1986. She has worked for the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European Commission. She has also been a Member of the Belgian and European Parliaments.

Katarina Tomasevski (Croatia) to the post of Special Rapporteur on the right to education. Ms Tomasevski is currently professor of international law and international relations (University of Lund), external lecturer at the Centre for Africa Studies (University of Copenhagen) and Senior Research Associate at the Danish Centre for Human Rights. Her previous experience includes posts at the McGill Centre for Medicine, Ethics and Law, the World Health Organisation, and the Institue for Social Research in Zagreb. In addition to over a hundred articles, she is also the author of two books. Her most recent publication is entitled "Between Sanctions and Elections".

Arjun K. Sengupta (India) has been appointed Independent Expert on the right to development. Mr Sengupta is a professor of International Economic and Financial Organisation at the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. He has previously held positions with the International Monetary Fund, and was Ambassador of India to the European Union. He has also taught at various institutions, including the London School of Economics, Oxford and The Hague, and is the author of many papers and articles.