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UN WORKING GROUP ON ARBITRARY DETENTION CONCLUDES ITS 50th SESSION
03 December 2007
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Geneva 3 December 2007: - - The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded its 50th session, which was held from 21 to 30 November 2007 at the United Nations Office in Geneva.
During its session, the Working Group adopted its 2007 annual report as well as its report on its September mission to Angola. The annual report contains a description of the activities carried out by the Working Group during 2007, the urgent appeals and the Opinions adopted on the individual cases of detention transmitted to governments through its regular procedure. Regarding its follow-up procedure, it contains information provided by the Governments of Belarus and Latvia on the implementation of the Working Group’s recommendations after its 2004 visits to those countries.
Particular consideration is given in the report to the question of the administrative detention of non-citizens; to groups in detention susceptible of sexual abuse; to the recourse to detention in the context of counter-terrorism measures and states of emergency, and to the issue of adequate detention registries.
During the session, the Working Group adopted 21 Opinions on individual cases of detention. Meetings were held with representatives of Governments and non-governmental organizations. During the session, the Governments of Mauritania and of the United States of America confirmed the invitation extended to the Working Group to visit their countries.
In conformity with its methods of work, the Working Group proceed to confirm Ms. Leïla Zerrougui (from Algeria) as its Chairperson-Rapporteur and to appoint Ms. Manuela Carmena Castrillo (from Spain) as its new Vice-Chair.
The Working Group, made up of five independent experts from different regions of the world, is also composed by Ms. Soledad Villagra de Biedermann (from Paraguay); Mr. Tamás Bán (from Hungary) and Mr. Seyed Mohammed Hashemi (from the Islamic Republic of Iran).
The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention was established by the former Commission on Human Rights in its resolution 1991/42 and entrusted with the investigation of instances of arbitrary deprivation of liberty, according to the standards set forth in the Universal declaration of human rights and with the relevant international instruments accepted by the States concerned. Its mandate was extended by the Commission in its resolution 1997/50 to cover the issue of administrative custody of asylum-seekers and immigrants. The Human Rights Council extended the Working Group’s mandate for a further three-year period by its resolution 6/4 adopted on 28 September 2007.
For more information on the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, please refer to the OHCHR web site: http://www.ohchr.org
During its session, the Working Group adopted its 2007 annual report as well as its report on its September mission to Angola. The annual report contains a description of the activities carried out by the Working Group during 2007, the urgent appeals and the Opinions adopted on the individual cases of detention transmitted to governments through its regular procedure. Regarding its follow-up procedure, it contains information provided by the Governments of Belarus and Latvia on the implementation of the Working Group’s recommendations after its 2004 visits to those countries.
Particular consideration is given in the report to the question of the administrative detention of non-citizens; to groups in detention susceptible of sexual abuse; to the recourse to detention in the context of counter-terrorism measures and states of emergency, and to the issue of adequate detention registries.
During the session, the Working Group adopted 21 Opinions on individual cases of detention. Meetings were held with representatives of Governments and non-governmental organizations. During the session, the Governments of Mauritania and of the United States of America confirmed the invitation extended to the Working Group to visit their countries.
In conformity with its methods of work, the Working Group proceed to confirm Ms. Leïla Zerrougui (from Algeria) as its Chairperson-Rapporteur and to appoint Ms. Manuela Carmena Castrillo (from Spain) as its new Vice-Chair.
The Working Group, made up of five independent experts from different regions of the world, is also composed by Ms. Soledad Villagra de Biedermann (from Paraguay); Mr. Tamás Bán (from Hungary) and Mr. Seyed Mohammed Hashemi (from the Islamic Republic of Iran).
The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention was established by the former Commission on Human Rights in its resolution 1991/42 and entrusted with the investigation of instances of arbitrary deprivation of liberty, according to the standards set forth in the Universal declaration of human rights and with the relevant international instruments accepted by the States concerned. Its mandate was extended by the Commission in its resolution 1997/50 to cover the issue of administrative custody of asylum-seekers and immigrants. The Human Rights Council extended the Working Group’s mandate for a further three-year period by its resolution 6/4 adopted on 28 September 2007.
For more information on the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, please refer to the OHCHR web site: http://www.ohchr.org