HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE DECIDES TO SET UP WORKING GROUPS ON RESERVATIONS AND ON STREAMLINING REPORTING PROCEDURES AMONG TREATY BODIES

Human Rights Committee
76th session
31 October 2002



The Human Rights Committee this afternoon decided to set up two working groups on reservations on multilateral treaties and on Secretary-General’s proposal on streamlining the reporting procedures among treaty bodies.
Referring to its General Comment No. 24 on reservations by States parties to the multilateral treaties, particularly to that of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which was adopted in 1994, the Committee decided to set up a working group, composed of some of its members, to work in relation with the International Law Commission (ILC). The Commission would be dealing with a draft report on reservations in multilateral treaties, and it had decided to consult all treaty bodies on the issue.
In the General Comment it adopted on issues relating to reservations made upon or accession to the Covenant or the Optional Protcols, the Committee noted that as of 1 November 1994, 46 of the 127 States to the Covenant had entered 150 reservations of varying significance to their acceptance of the obligations of the Covenant. At present, 149 countries are States parties to the International Covenant.
The Committee also decided to create a working group to seek solutions or options to the United Nations Secretary-General's proposal on streamlining the reporting procedures among treaty bodies and working towards a consolidated report under the main human rights instruments, which was indicated in his recent report entitled "Agenda for further change". The working group was expected to meet before the Committee’s seventy-seventh session in March 2003.
Further, the Committee decided that Egypt and Togo, whose reports were considered this session, submit their next periodic reports by 1 November 2004. Suriname’s second periodic report was expected to be submitted by 1 May 2003. The Committee examined that country’s human rights situation during its current session in the absence of a second periodic report but in the presence of a Government delegation.
The Committee also decided that list of issues be prepared relating to the reports of the Slovakia, Russian Federation, Portugal, El Salvador and Equatorial Guinea. The list of issues will be addressed to the corresponding States parties in advance. The human rights situation of Equatorial Guinea will be examined in the absence of a report.
When the Committee reconvenes at 10 a.m. on Friday, 1 November, it is scheduled to release its concluding observations on the reports of Egypt, Togo and Suriname, which were adopted in private sessions. The Committee is expected to close its seventy-sixth session on the same day. At 11.30 a.m. on Friday, Committee Chairperson Prafullachandra Natwarlal Bhagwati, accompanied by other members of the Bureau, will hold a press conference in Room III at the Palais des Nations.


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