HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE TO MEET AT UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK, FROM 22 MARCH TO 9 APRIL

Background Release

HR/CT/522
19 March 1999


Will Consider Reports of Cambodia
Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica and Lesotho


Reports submitted by the Governments of Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica and Lesotho on the measures they have adopted to implement the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights will be considered by the Human Rights Committee at its sixty-fifth session, to be held at Headquarters from 22 March to 9 April.

The six countries presenting reports are among the 144 States parties to the International Covenant. The Committee, as a monitoring body, periodically examines reports submitted by States parties on their promotion and protection of civil and political rights. Representatives of those governments will introduce their country reports and respond to oral and written questions from the Committee's 18 members, who serve in their personal capacity.

The Committee was established to monitor the implementation of the Covenant and its related Protocols in the territory of the States parties. Its 18 members -- independent experts -- are persons of high moral character and recognized competence in the field of human rights and serve for a period of four years. The Committee meets three times a year for three-week sessions which are normally held in March at Headquarters in New York, and in July and November at the United Nations Office in Geneva.

Committee members are elected by States parties and serve in their personal capacity. The Committee is empowered to consider reports on measures adopted and progress made in achieving the observance of the rights enshrined in the Covenant. In addition, under the First Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, a number of States have recognized the competence of the Committee to consider communications from individuals regarding alleged violations of human rights. Members of the Committee serve for four years.

According to the provisional agenda, the Committee, at this current session, will take up the fourth periodic report of Chile on 24 March, the third periodic report of Cameroon on 25 March, the fourth periodic report of Canada on 26 March and the initial reports of Cambodia and Lesotho on 30 March and 1 April, respectively. Finally, the Committee will consider the fourth periodic report of Costa Rica on 5 April.

Under the First Optional Protocol to the Covenant, the Committee will also consider confidential communications from individuals claiming to be victims of violations of any of the rights proclaimed in the Covenant. At the present session, up to 35 cases may be considered. In accordance with provisions of the first Optional Protocol and the Committee's rules of procedure, all such communications are considered in closed meetings.

In addition, during its current session, the Committee will resume its consideration of a draft general comment regarding article 12 of the Covenant and initiate consideration of article 3. Article 12 addresses the right to liberty of movement, freedom to choose residence and freedom to leave any country. Article 3 addresses the equal right of men and women to enjoy all civil and political rights set forth in the Covenant. The Committee may also review past general comments with a view to identifying Covenant provisions which have not yet been addressed, as well as comments which need to be updated.

A list of pending reports by States parties which have been received by the Secretary-General, as well as of outstanding reports, is contained in the Committee's annotated provisional agenda (document CCPR/C/137).

The Committee is also expected to: elect new members, a chairperson and other officers; adopt its agenda and other organizational matters; and consider action by the General Assembly on the Committee's annual report and on the effective implementation of United Nations instruments on human rights and effective functioning of bodies pursuant to such instruments.

Background on Covenant

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, its corresponding Optional Protocol and the International Covenant on Economic were adopted by the General Assembly on 16 December 1966 and opened for signature. They came into force on 23 March 1976.

The Covenant on Civil and Political Rights begins by stating that all peoples have the right to self-determination. It recognizes that everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. It prohibits torture, cruel or degrading treatment or punishment, and the arbitrary deprivation of life. Anyone arrested is to be informed of the reason for the arrest, and anyone arrested or detained on a criminal charge is to be brought promptly before a judge or other legally authorized person.

The Covenant also provides, among other things, for freedom of movement, and places limitations upon the expulsion of aliens present lawfully in the territory of a State party. In addition, the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion and freedom of expression are recognized by the Covenant, which also prohibits any propaganda for war or any advocacy of national, racial and religious hatred.

The following 144 States have ratified or acceded to the Covenant: Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan.

Also Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Liberia and Sao Tome and Principe are also signatories of the Covenant.

First Optional Protocol to Covenant

The First Optional Protocol to the Covenant provides for the confidential consideration of communications from individuals who claim to be victims of a violation of any of the rights proclaimed in the Covenant. No communications can be received by the Committee if it concerns a State party to the Covenant that is not also a party to the Optional Protocol.

The following 95 States are parties to the Optional Protocol: Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Finland, France, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, and Guinea.

Also Guyana, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malta, Mauritius, Mongolia, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, Tajikistan, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Zambia.

Second Optional Protocol to Covenant

The Second Optional Protocol to the Covenant, which aims at the abolition of the death penalty, was adopted by the General Assembly on 15 December 1989 and entered into force on 11 July 1991.

The following 35 States have ratified or acceded to the Second Optional Protocol: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Portugal, Romania, Seychelles, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Honduras and Nicaragua are also signatories of the Second Optional Protocol.

Membership of Committee

The Committee's 18 expert members are: Abdelfattah Amor, of Tunisia; Nisuke Ando, of Japan; Prafullachandra Natwarlal Bhagwati, of India; Thomas Buergenthal, of the United States; Christine Chanet, of France; Lord Colville, of the United Kingdom; Elizabeth Evatt, of Australia; Pilar Gaitan de Pombo, of Colombia; Eckart Klein, of Germany; David Kretzmer, of Israel; Rajsoomer Lallah, of Mauritius; Cecilia Medina Quiroga, of Chile;
Fausto Pocar, of Italy; Martin Scheinin, of Finland; Hipolito Solari Yrigoyen, of Argentina; Roman Wieruszewski, of Poland; Maxwell Yalden, of Canada; and Abdallah Zakhia, of Lebanon.