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HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE DISCUSSES ITS PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGY
21 July 2008
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Human Rights Committee
21 July 2008
This afternoon the Human Rights Committee heard an update from Committee Expert, Ivan Shearer, who introduced the report on a strategic approach to public relations, including relations with the media. No substantial agreement was reached on outstanding issues involving the strategy, and it was decided to continue the discussion at the Committee’s next session in October.
Mr. Shearer, introducing the revised report, said it reflected changes that had been made since the Committee last debated this issue in New York. The discussion among Experts centered on just a few issues. The first revolved around the involvement of States parties’ media in public proceedings of the Committee. The Committee agreed that public sessions should be open to the various media with support from the United Nations Department of Public Information, and subject to the guidelines provided by the Committee. However, a number of issues remained unresolved, including how to ensure that States were not able to block their national media from covering the Committee’s proceedings. Committee Experts agreed that the responsibility should not be left to States parties’ to invite media, since some States parties’ did not have relations with their media that conformed to the provisions of the Covenant. Committee Experts also discussed the issue of appointing a focal point, or Special Rapporteur, for media contacts, and whether one or three Rapporteurs from different language groups and backgrounds should be appointed.
At the end of the meeting, following a brief exposition of where the Committee stood with regard to establishing a time-limit for submission of complaints under the first Optional Protocol to the Convenant, it was decided to defer this discussion as well to the Committee’s Fall session.
The Committee will next reconvene in public at 11 a.m. on Wedensday, 23 July, when it is scheduled to hear progress reports from its Special Rapporteurs for follow-up to concluding observations and for follow-up to Views.
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For use of the information media; not an official record
21 July 2008
This afternoon the Human Rights Committee heard an update from Committee Expert, Ivan Shearer, who introduced the report on a strategic approach to public relations, including relations with the media. No substantial agreement was reached on outstanding issues involving the strategy, and it was decided to continue the discussion at the Committee’s next session in October.
Mr. Shearer, introducing the revised report, said it reflected changes that had been made since the Committee last debated this issue in New York. The discussion among Experts centered on just a few issues. The first revolved around the involvement of States parties’ media in public proceedings of the Committee. The Committee agreed that public sessions should be open to the various media with support from the United Nations Department of Public Information, and subject to the guidelines provided by the Committee. However, a number of issues remained unresolved, including how to ensure that States were not able to block their national media from covering the Committee’s proceedings. Committee Experts agreed that the responsibility should not be left to States parties’ to invite media, since some States parties’ did not have relations with their media that conformed to the provisions of the Covenant. Committee Experts also discussed the issue of appointing a focal point, or Special Rapporteur, for media contacts, and whether one or three Rapporteurs from different language groups and backgrounds should be appointed.
At the end of the meeting, following a brief exposition of where the Committee stood with regard to establishing a time-limit for submission of complaints under the first Optional Protocol to the Convenant, it was decided to defer this discussion as well to the Committee’s Fall session.
The Committee will next reconvene in public at 11 a.m. on Wedensday, 23 July, when it is scheduled to hear progress reports from its Special Rapporteurs for follow-up to concluding observations and for follow-up to Views.
_________
For use of the information media; not an official record