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THIRD INTER-COMMITTEE MEETING AND SIXTEENTH MEETING OF CHAIRPERSONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS TREATY BODIES END IN GENEVA
25 June 2004
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25 June 2004
The third inter-committee meeting and sixteenth meeting of chairpersons of human rights treaty bodies were held in Geneva from 21 to 22 June 2004 and 23 to 25 June 2004 respectively. Both meetings were chaired by Prasad Kariyawasam, Chairperson of the Committee on Migrant Workers.
The main items on the agenda for both meetings (documents HRI/ICM/2004/1 and HRI/MC/2004/1, available from www.ohchr.org) concerned efforts to strengthen the treaty bodies, and in particular the reporting system whereby States parties to the human rights treaties submit reports to the treaty bodies on their implementation of the provisions of the treaties. The inter-committee meeting reviewed progress made in the implementation of the recommendations of last year’s meetings and considered many aspects of their work and working methods, including the function and purpose of lists of issues in dialogue with States, procedures to tackle non-reporting and late reporting by States, follow-up procedures to concluding observations, a common position on reservations, the role of national human rights institutions in the reporting process, and technical assistance to States on reporting.
Participants at the meeting considered draft harmonized guidelines on reporting to all committees including guidelines on an expanded core document and treaty-specific targeted reports (document HRI/MC/2004/3) prepared by the Secretariat at the request of last year’s meeting, which they broadly welcomed. They recognized that further work was required before the draft guidelines could be adopted and agreed that the document would be forwarded to each committee for further consideration. Kamel Filali (of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC)) was appointed rapporteur to coordinate the consultations between the committees. The meeting agreed that States parties wishing to use the draft guidelines for their reporting may do so, in consultation with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW) of the United Nations.
A number of points of agreement were approved for consideration by the sixteenth meeting of chairpersons. These included further measures to streamline the reporting process and working methods of the treaty bodies. Members requested the Secretariat to produce reports on the extent of non-reporting and late reporting, and a comparative analysis of the different treaty bodies' treatment of the issue of reservations which will be considered by a working group. Steps to enhance cooperation with specialized agencies, the Commission on Human Rights and national human rights institutions were decided. It was also decided to invite representatives of national human rights institutions to attend next year's meeting.
Participants met with representatives of non-governmental organizations and were briefed by Salil Shetty, director of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) campaign, who drew members’ attention to the linkages between the MDG campaign and the promotion of human rights.
The sixteenth meeting of chairpersons went on to discuss developments in their working methods, including the possibility of sitting in two parallel chambers (CRC and Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)) and procedures to discourage non-reporting.
The chairperson engaged in a dialogue with the members of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights who attended the meetings as observers: Ahmad El Hassan, Jainoba Johm and Kamel Rezag-Bara.
The chairpersons, together with the special procedures, met with the Chairman of the Board of the Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation. Opportunities for meaningful cooperation between the treaty bodies and the Fund, particularly in the area of ratifications, were identified.
The sixth joint meeting of chairpersons of treaty bodies and special procedures mandate-holders discussed the issue of the impact of counter-terrorism measures on human rights.
The chairpersons met with representatives of the United Nations specialized agencies, the Expanded Bureau of the Commission on Human Rights, the representative of the Chairperson of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, the Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and held informal consultations with representatives of 77 States parties.
The chairpersons of treaty bodies have met regularly since 1984 to discuss matters of mutual concern. The inter-committee meeting consists of the chairpersons and two other members of each of the seven treaty bodies and has been the main forum for the continuing discussion of ways to enhance the effectiveness of the treaty bodies.
The third inter-committee meeting and sixteenth meeting of chairpersons of human rights treaty bodies were held in Geneva from 21 to 22 June 2004 and 23 to 25 June 2004 respectively. Both meetings were chaired by Prasad Kariyawasam, Chairperson of the Committee on Migrant Workers.
The main items on the agenda for both meetings (documents HRI/ICM/2004/1 and HRI/MC/2004/1, available from www.ohchr.org) concerned efforts to strengthen the treaty bodies, and in particular the reporting system whereby States parties to the human rights treaties submit reports to the treaty bodies on their implementation of the provisions of the treaties. The inter-committee meeting reviewed progress made in the implementation of the recommendations of last year’s meetings and considered many aspects of their work and working methods, including the function and purpose of lists of issues in dialogue with States, procedures to tackle non-reporting and late reporting by States, follow-up procedures to concluding observations, a common position on reservations, the role of national human rights institutions in the reporting process, and technical assistance to States on reporting.
Participants at the meeting considered draft harmonized guidelines on reporting to all committees including guidelines on an expanded core document and treaty-specific targeted reports (document HRI/MC/2004/3) prepared by the Secretariat at the request of last year’s meeting, which they broadly welcomed. They recognized that further work was required before the draft guidelines could be adopted and agreed that the document would be forwarded to each committee for further consideration. Kamel Filali (of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC)) was appointed rapporteur to coordinate the consultations between the committees. The meeting agreed that States parties wishing to use the draft guidelines for their reporting may do so, in consultation with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW) of the United Nations.
A number of points of agreement were approved for consideration by the sixteenth meeting of chairpersons. These included further measures to streamline the reporting process and working methods of the treaty bodies. Members requested the Secretariat to produce reports on the extent of non-reporting and late reporting, and a comparative analysis of the different treaty bodies' treatment of the issue of reservations which will be considered by a working group. Steps to enhance cooperation with specialized agencies, the Commission on Human Rights and national human rights institutions were decided. It was also decided to invite representatives of national human rights institutions to attend next year's meeting.
Participants met with representatives of non-governmental organizations and were briefed by Salil Shetty, director of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) campaign, who drew members’ attention to the linkages between the MDG campaign and the promotion of human rights.
The sixteenth meeting of chairpersons went on to discuss developments in their working methods, including the possibility of sitting in two parallel chambers (CRC and Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)) and procedures to discourage non-reporting.
The chairperson engaged in a dialogue with the members of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights who attended the meetings as observers: Ahmad El Hassan, Jainoba Johm and Kamel Rezag-Bara.
The chairpersons, together with the special procedures, met with the Chairman of the Board of the Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation. Opportunities for meaningful cooperation between the treaty bodies and the Fund, particularly in the area of ratifications, were identified.
The sixth joint meeting of chairpersons of treaty bodies and special procedures mandate-holders discussed the issue of the impact of counter-terrorism measures on human rights.
The chairpersons met with representatives of the United Nations specialized agencies, the Expanded Bureau of the Commission on Human Rights, the representative of the Chairperson of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, the Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and held informal consultations with representatives of 77 States parties.
The chairpersons of treaty bodies have met regularly since 1984 to discuss matters of mutual concern. The inter-committee meeting consists of the chairpersons and two other members of each of the seven treaty bodies and has been the main forum for the continuing discussion of ways to enhance the effectiveness of the treaty bodies.