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HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE OPENS EIGHTY-SEVENTH SESSION
10 July 2006
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Human Rights Committee
10 July 2006
The Human Rights Committee, which reviews the implementation of the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by its 156 States parties, this morning opened its eighty-seventh session, hearing an address by a Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, following which it adopted its agenda and programme of work.
The Committee was addressed by Alessio Bruni, a Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, who said that the past few months had been particularly intense and challenging in the human rights area. The Human Rights Council had held its first session from 19 to 30 June 2006. Of particular interest for treaty bodies was the Council’s obligation to undertake a universal periodic review of the fulfilment of each State of its human rights obligations and commitments. The General Assembly underlined that such a mechanism should complement and not duplicate the work of treaty bodies. He also drew attention to the fact that several States standing for election to the Human Rights Council had made specific commitments relevant to the international human rights treaties, and their treaty obligations. Those pledges could be viewed on the OHCHR website and might be of particular value for the Committee in carrying out its activities.
Mr. Bruni said that of particular importance and relevance to facilitate country engagement strategies was the identification by the Human Rights Committee of priorities in its concluding observations, as well as the adoption, at its last session, of internal working guidelines for the Secretariat and the Country Report Task Forces for the drafting of lists of issues. Such guidelines would obviously facilitate the elaboration of more concrete and targeted recommendations addressing country priorities.
Nigel Rodley, Chairperson-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Communications, said that the Working Group had held 10 meetings from 3 to 7 July and had elected him as Chairperson-Rapporteur. The Group had 29 draft recommendations before it. All in all, the Group had adopted 15 inadmissibility recommendations, which would be circulated to members of the plenary by the end of this week or on Monday, 17 July. Eleven recommendations for the adoption of Views under article 5, paragraph 4, of the Optional Protocol, two admissibility decisions and one decision with an admissibility and merits option depending on expeditious further action by the State party.
When the Committee next reconvenes in public plenary on Wednesday, 12 July, at 3 p.m., it will begin its consideration of the second periodic report of the Central African Republic (CCPR/C/CAF/2004/2).
Statement by the Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
ALESSIO BRUNI, Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that the past few months had been particularly intense and challenging in the human rights area. He noted that, following the adoption of General Assembly resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006, the Human Rights Council had held its first session from 19 to 30 June 2006. As the main organ within the United Nations system with responsibility for the promotion and protection of human rights, the Council had been mandated to address human rights violations; promote human rights education, technical assistance and capacity-building; contribute to the prevention of human rights violations; and respond promptly to human rights emergencies. Of particular interest for treaty bodies was the Council’s obligation to undertake a universal periodic review of the fulfilment of each State of its human rights obligations and commitments. The General Assembly had underlined that such a mechanism should complement and not duplicate the work of treaty bodies. At its first session, the Council had decided to establish an intersessional open-ended working group to develop the modalities of the universal periodic review mechanism.
Mr. Bruni said that he would also like to draw attention to the fact that several States standing for election to the Human Rights Council had made specific commitments relevant to the international human rights treaties, and their treaty obligations – such as ratification of treaties, withdrawal of reservations, submission of reports and implementation of concluding observations. Those pledges could be viewed on the OHCHR website and might be of particular value for the Committee in carrying out its activities. Among the achievements of the Council at its first session had been the adoption of the Draft International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, and of the draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which would be submitted to the General Assembly for adoption. Finally, on 5 and 6 July 2006, the Council had held a special session to consider the latest escalation of the situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories. It adopted a resolution calling for an urgent fact-finding mission of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
With regard to treaty body reform, Mr. Bruni recalled that an informal brainstorming meeting on the High Commissioner’s proposal for a unified standing treaty body was planed from 14 to 16 July 2006 in Malbun. At the end of a whole series of consultations and inputs sought from treaty bodies’ experts, States parties, and non-governmental organizations and interested parties, an intergovernmental consultation with States parties would be convened – probably in May 2007. In conformity with the High Commissioner’s Plan of Action and OHCHR Strategic Management Plan, particular focus had been placed on achieving greater awareness, understanding and support for the implementation of treaty bodies’ recommendations and country engagement strategies. In that regard, OHCHR had continued to undertake training workshops funded by the European Commission with a view to strengthening the capacity of key target groups, namely national human rights institutions, non-governmental organizations and the media, to support and facilitate implementation of concluding observations at the national level.
Of particular importance and relevance to facilitate country engagement strategies was the identification by the Human Rights Committee of priorities in its concluding observations, as well as the adoption, at its last session, of internal working guidelines for the Secretariat and the Country Report Task Forces for the drafting of lists of issues. Such guidelines would obviously facilitate the elaboration of more concrete and targeted recommendations addressing country priorities. Finally, Mr. Bruni said that OHCHR was looking forward to the results of the Working Group mandated to formulate recommendations for the reinforcement of follow-up activities both on concluding observations and Views under the Optional Protocol.
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For use of the information media; not an official record
10 July 2006
The Human Rights Committee, which reviews the implementation of the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by its 156 States parties, this morning opened its eighty-seventh session, hearing an address by a Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, following which it adopted its agenda and programme of work.
The Committee was addressed by Alessio Bruni, a Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, who said that the past few months had been particularly intense and challenging in the human rights area. The Human Rights Council had held its first session from 19 to 30 June 2006. Of particular interest for treaty bodies was the Council’s obligation to undertake a universal periodic review of the fulfilment of each State of its human rights obligations and commitments. The General Assembly underlined that such a mechanism should complement and not duplicate the work of treaty bodies. He also drew attention to the fact that several States standing for election to the Human Rights Council had made specific commitments relevant to the international human rights treaties, and their treaty obligations. Those pledges could be viewed on the OHCHR website and might be of particular value for the Committee in carrying out its activities.
Mr. Bruni said that of particular importance and relevance to facilitate country engagement strategies was the identification by the Human Rights Committee of priorities in its concluding observations, as well as the adoption, at its last session, of internal working guidelines for the Secretariat and the Country Report Task Forces for the drafting of lists of issues. Such guidelines would obviously facilitate the elaboration of more concrete and targeted recommendations addressing country priorities.
Nigel Rodley, Chairperson-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Communications, said that the Working Group had held 10 meetings from 3 to 7 July and had elected him as Chairperson-Rapporteur. The Group had 29 draft recommendations before it. All in all, the Group had adopted 15 inadmissibility recommendations, which would be circulated to members of the plenary by the end of this week or on Monday, 17 July. Eleven recommendations for the adoption of Views under article 5, paragraph 4, of the Optional Protocol, two admissibility decisions and one decision with an admissibility and merits option depending on expeditious further action by the State party.
When the Committee next reconvenes in public plenary on Wednesday, 12 July, at 3 p.m., it will begin its consideration of the second periodic report of the Central African Republic (CCPR/C/CAF/2004/2).
Statement by the Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
ALESSIO BRUNI, Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that the past few months had been particularly intense and challenging in the human rights area. He noted that, following the adoption of General Assembly resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006, the Human Rights Council had held its first session from 19 to 30 June 2006. As the main organ within the United Nations system with responsibility for the promotion and protection of human rights, the Council had been mandated to address human rights violations; promote human rights education, technical assistance and capacity-building; contribute to the prevention of human rights violations; and respond promptly to human rights emergencies. Of particular interest for treaty bodies was the Council’s obligation to undertake a universal periodic review of the fulfilment of each State of its human rights obligations and commitments. The General Assembly had underlined that such a mechanism should complement and not duplicate the work of treaty bodies. At its first session, the Council had decided to establish an intersessional open-ended working group to develop the modalities of the universal periodic review mechanism.
Mr. Bruni said that he would also like to draw attention to the fact that several States standing for election to the Human Rights Council had made specific commitments relevant to the international human rights treaties, and their treaty obligations – such as ratification of treaties, withdrawal of reservations, submission of reports and implementation of concluding observations. Those pledges could be viewed on the OHCHR website and might be of particular value for the Committee in carrying out its activities. Among the achievements of the Council at its first session had been the adoption of the Draft International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, and of the draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which would be submitted to the General Assembly for adoption. Finally, on 5 and 6 July 2006, the Council had held a special session to consider the latest escalation of the situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories. It adopted a resolution calling for an urgent fact-finding mission of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
With regard to treaty body reform, Mr. Bruni recalled that an informal brainstorming meeting on the High Commissioner’s proposal for a unified standing treaty body was planed from 14 to 16 July 2006 in Malbun. At the end of a whole series of consultations and inputs sought from treaty bodies’ experts, States parties, and non-governmental organizations and interested parties, an intergovernmental consultation with States parties would be convened – probably in May 2007. In conformity with the High Commissioner’s Plan of Action and OHCHR Strategic Management Plan, particular focus had been placed on achieving greater awareness, understanding and support for the implementation of treaty bodies’ recommendations and country engagement strategies. In that regard, OHCHR had continued to undertake training workshops funded by the European Commission with a view to strengthening the capacity of key target groups, namely national human rights institutions, non-governmental organizations and the media, to support and facilitate implementation of concluding observations at the national level.
Of particular importance and relevance to facilitate country engagement strategies was the identification by the Human Rights Committee of priorities in its concluding observations, as well as the adoption, at its last session, of internal working guidelines for the Secretariat and the Country Report Task Forces for the drafting of lists of issues. Such guidelines would obviously facilitate the elaboration of more concrete and targeted recommendations addressing country priorities. Finally, Mr. Bruni said that OHCHR was looking forward to the results of the Working Group mandated to formulate recommendations for the reinforcement of follow-up activities both on concluding observations and Views under the Optional Protocol.
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For use of the information media; not an official record
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