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Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights concludes substantive work for 2000
18 August 2000
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Subcommission on the Promotion
and Protection of Human Rights
52nd session
18 August 2000
Afternoon
Panel Concludes Substantive Work for 2000
The Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights completed its substantive work this afternoon by approving resolutions related to economic sanctions, reservations to human-rights treaties, and continuing obligations under international human-rights instruments.
The Subcommission appealed to all States concerned to reconsider their adoption of or support for economic sanctions, even when legitimate goals pursued had not yet been achieved, if, after a reasonable period, the measures had not brought about the desired changes in policy; and it also appealed to all States concerned to seek prompt termination of all aspects of sanctions regimes that adversely affected human rights or that contravened international law.
The Subcommission encouraged States to ratify human rights treaties without reservations and those States that had ratified them with reservations to remove the reservations; and recommended that the Commission on Human Rights appoint Subcommission Expert Francoise Jane Hampson as Special Rapporteur with the task of preparing a comprehensive study on reservations to human rights treaties.
In a resolution on continuing obligations under international human rights instruments, it appealed strongly to all States that had not yet done so to become parties to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, as well as other international and regional human rights treaties, and encouraged the full participation of all Member States in the United Nations human rights system.
In other action, the Subcommission asked its Special Rapporteur on the topic of terrorism and human rights, Kalliopi Koufa, to submit a progress report on her study at its fifty-third session; asked Subcommission Expert Manuel Rodriguez Cuadros to prepare a working paper on the promotion and consolidation of democracy; approved the composition of working groups on minorities, contemporary forms of slavery, indigenous populations, and communications for 2001; took note of its draft provisional agenda for its 2001 session; and sought advice from the Commission on Human Rights on how to reflect its consideration of Subcommission agenda item 2, on the question of human rights violations in any country.
Action on draft resolutions and decisions
In a resolution (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2000/L.33) on the adverse consequences of economic sanctions, the Subcommission appealed again to all States concerned to reconsider their adoption of or support for such measures, even when legitimate goals pursued have not yet been achieved, if, after a reasonable period, the measures have not brought about the desired changes in policy; also appealed to all States concerned to seek prompt termination of all aspects of sanctions regimes that adversely affected human rights, that contravened international law or that conflicted with other norms of international law; decided to transmit the working paper of Marc Bossuyt on the topic to the Commission on Human Rights; and invited the Commission to recommend appropriate measures to avoid adverse consequences from the imposition and maintenance of economic sanctions.
In a measure (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2000/L.34) on terrorism and human rights, the Subcommission decided to request the Special Rapporteur, Kalliopi Koufa, on the topic to submit the progress report on her study at its fifty-third session, and to request the Secretary-General to transmit, as soon as possible, the preliminary report on terrorism and human rights to Governments, specialized agencies and concerned intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations for their comments, information, and any relevant data they might wish to provide.
In a measure (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2000/L.35) on the promotion and consolidation of democracy, the Subcommission decided to entrust Manuel Rodriguez Cuadros with the task of preparing, without financial implications, a working paper on the measures provided in the various international human-rights instruments for the promotion and consolidation of democracy for submission to the Subcommission at its fifty-third session.
In a resolution (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2000/L.39) on reservations to human rights treaties, the Subcommission encouraged States to ratify such treaties without reservations and those States that had ratified them with reservations to remove the reservations; decided to appoint Francoise Jane Hampson as Special Rapporteur with the task of preparing a comprehensive study on reservations to human rights treaties, a study that would not duplicate the work of the International Law Commission, which concerned the legal regime applicable to reservations and interpretive declarations in general, whereas the proposed study involved the examination of the actual reservations and interpretive declarations made to human rights treaties; and recommended a draft decision to that effect to the Commission on Human Rights for adoption.
In a resolution (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2000/L.41) on continuing obligations under international human rights instruments, the Subcommission appealed strongly to all States that had not yet done so, to become parties to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, as well as other international and regional human rights treaties; encouraged the full participation of all Member States in the United Nations human rights system, as well as in regional human rights jurisdictional systems; invited all States and all relevant United Nations human rights mechanisms and procedures to pay continued attention to the importance of mutual cooperation, understanding and dialogue in ensuring the promotion and protection of human rights; and decided to recommend that the Commission on Human Rights consider the implications of withdrawal from, or limitation of the scope of, international treaty obligations at its next session.
In a measure on composition of working groups of the Subcommission for 2001, the Subcommission approved the following appointments:
To the working group on minorities: Yeung Kam Yeung Sik Yuen, Soli Jehangir Sorabjee, Vladimir Kartashkin, Jose Bengoa, and Asbjorn Eide; and alternates Leila Zerrougui, Deepika Udagama, Iluia Antoanella Motoc, Miguel Alfonso Martinez, and Kalliopi Koufa.
To the working group on contemporary forms of slavery: Halima Embarek Warzazi, Rajendra Kalidas Wimala Goonesekere, Stanislav Ogurtsov, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, and Fried Van Hoof; and alternates Joseph Oloka-Onyango, Chin Sung Chung, Victoria Sandru, Hector Fix-Zoomed, and Barbara Free.
To the working group on indigenous populations: El-Hadji Guise, Yoo Acadia, Ms. Motoc, Mr. Alfonso Martinez, and Erica-Irene Days; and alternates Christy Awesome Mbonu, Yoshiko Terao, Mr. Ogurtsov, Mr. Bengoa, and Francoise Jane Hampson.
To the working group on communications: Fisseha Yimer, Fan Guoxiang, Teimuraz Ramishvili, Manuel Rodriguez Cuadros, and Louis Joinet; and alternates Ms. Warzazi, Mr. Kartashkin, Mr. Pinheiro, and David Weissbrodt.
In a measure on Subcommission agenda item 2, on the question of the violation of human rights in any country, the Subcommission decided to ask the Commission on Human Rights for advice on how the Subcommission could best reflect its consideration of the item, as the Commission had directed that the Subcommission should not pass resolutions referring to situations in specific countries.
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and Protection of Human Rights
52nd session
18 August 2000
Afternoon
Panel Concludes Substantive Work for 2000
The Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights completed its substantive work this afternoon by approving resolutions related to economic sanctions, reservations to human-rights treaties, and continuing obligations under international human-rights instruments.
The Subcommission appealed to all States concerned to reconsider their adoption of or support for economic sanctions, even when legitimate goals pursued had not yet been achieved, if, after a reasonable period, the measures had not brought about the desired changes in policy; and it also appealed to all States concerned to seek prompt termination of all aspects of sanctions regimes that adversely affected human rights or that contravened international law.
The Subcommission encouraged States to ratify human rights treaties without reservations and those States that had ratified them with reservations to remove the reservations; and recommended that the Commission on Human Rights appoint Subcommission Expert Francoise Jane Hampson as Special Rapporteur with the task of preparing a comprehensive study on reservations to human rights treaties.
In a resolution on continuing obligations under international human rights instruments, it appealed strongly to all States that had not yet done so to become parties to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, as well as other international and regional human rights treaties, and encouraged the full participation of all Member States in the United Nations human rights system.
In other action, the Subcommission asked its Special Rapporteur on the topic of terrorism and human rights, Kalliopi Koufa, to submit a progress report on her study at its fifty-third session; asked Subcommission Expert Manuel Rodriguez Cuadros to prepare a working paper on the promotion and consolidation of democracy; approved the composition of working groups on minorities, contemporary forms of slavery, indigenous populations, and communications for 2001; took note of its draft provisional agenda for its 2001 session; and sought advice from the Commission on Human Rights on how to reflect its consideration of Subcommission agenda item 2, on the question of human rights violations in any country.
Action on draft resolutions and decisions
In a resolution (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2000/L.33) on the adverse consequences of economic sanctions, the Subcommission appealed again to all States concerned to reconsider their adoption of or support for such measures, even when legitimate goals pursued have not yet been achieved, if, after a reasonable period, the measures have not brought about the desired changes in policy; also appealed to all States concerned to seek prompt termination of all aspects of sanctions regimes that adversely affected human rights, that contravened international law or that conflicted with other norms of international law; decided to transmit the working paper of Marc Bossuyt on the topic to the Commission on Human Rights; and invited the Commission to recommend appropriate measures to avoid adverse consequences from the imposition and maintenance of economic sanctions.
In a measure (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2000/L.34) on terrorism and human rights, the Subcommission decided to request the Special Rapporteur, Kalliopi Koufa, on the topic to submit the progress report on her study at its fifty-third session, and to request the Secretary-General to transmit, as soon as possible, the preliminary report on terrorism and human rights to Governments, specialized agencies and concerned intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations for their comments, information, and any relevant data they might wish to provide.
In a measure (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2000/L.35) on the promotion and consolidation of democracy, the Subcommission decided to entrust Manuel Rodriguez Cuadros with the task of preparing, without financial implications, a working paper on the measures provided in the various international human-rights instruments for the promotion and consolidation of democracy for submission to the Subcommission at its fifty-third session.
In a resolution (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2000/L.39) on reservations to human rights treaties, the Subcommission encouraged States to ratify such treaties without reservations and those States that had ratified them with reservations to remove the reservations; decided to appoint Francoise Jane Hampson as Special Rapporteur with the task of preparing a comprehensive study on reservations to human rights treaties, a study that would not duplicate the work of the International Law Commission, which concerned the legal regime applicable to reservations and interpretive declarations in general, whereas the proposed study involved the examination of the actual reservations and interpretive declarations made to human rights treaties; and recommended a draft decision to that effect to the Commission on Human Rights for adoption.
In a resolution (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2000/L.41) on continuing obligations under international human rights instruments, the Subcommission appealed strongly to all States that had not yet done so, to become parties to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, as well as other international and regional human rights treaties; encouraged the full participation of all Member States in the United Nations human rights system, as well as in regional human rights jurisdictional systems; invited all States and all relevant United Nations human rights mechanisms and procedures to pay continued attention to the importance of mutual cooperation, understanding and dialogue in ensuring the promotion and protection of human rights; and decided to recommend that the Commission on Human Rights consider the implications of withdrawal from, or limitation of the scope of, international treaty obligations at its next session.
In a measure on composition of working groups of the Subcommission for 2001, the Subcommission approved the following appointments:
To the working group on minorities: Yeung Kam Yeung Sik Yuen, Soli Jehangir Sorabjee, Vladimir Kartashkin, Jose Bengoa, and Asbjorn Eide; and alternates Leila Zerrougui, Deepika Udagama, Iluia Antoanella Motoc, Miguel Alfonso Martinez, and Kalliopi Koufa.
To the working group on contemporary forms of slavery: Halima Embarek Warzazi, Rajendra Kalidas Wimala Goonesekere, Stanislav Ogurtsov, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, and Fried Van Hoof; and alternates Joseph Oloka-Onyango, Chin Sung Chung, Victoria Sandru, Hector Fix-Zoomed, and Barbara Free.
To the working group on indigenous populations: El-Hadji Guise, Yoo Acadia, Ms. Motoc, Mr. Alfonso Martinez, and Erica-Irene Days; and alternates Christy Awesome Mbonu, Yoshiko Terao, Mr. Ogurtsov, Mr. Bengoa, and Francoise Jane Hampson.
To the working group on communications: Fisseha Yimer, Fan Guoxiang, Teimuraz Ramishvili, Manuel Rodriguez Cuadros, and Louis Joinet; and alternates Ms. Warzazi, Mr. Kartashkin, Mr. Pinheiro, and David Weissbrodt.
In a measure on Subcommission agenda item 2, on the question of the violation of human rights in any country, the Subcommission decided to ask the Commission on Human Rights for advice on how the Subcommission could best reflect its consideration of the item, as the Commission had directed that the Subcommission should not pass resolutions referring to situations in specific countries.
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