Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to meet in Geneva from 8 August to 2 September 2011

BACKGROUND RELEASE

4 August 2011

Reviews Reports of Paraguay, the Maldives, Kenya, Georgia, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Albania, the United Kingdom and Malta

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination will hold its seventy-ninth session at the Palais Wilson in Geneva from 8 August to 2 September to review anti-discrimination efforts undertaken by the Governments of Paraguay, the Maldives, Kenya, Georgia, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Albania, the United Kingdom and Malta.

These countries are among the 174 States parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination. The 18-member Committee, the first body created by the United Nations to review actions by States to fulfil obligations under a specific human rights treaty, examines reports submitted periodically by States parties on efforts to comply with the Convention. Government representatives generally present the report, discuss its contents with Committee members, and answer questions. In addition, the Committee will consider a number of situations under its Early Warning and Urgent Action Procedures.

During the course of the four-week session, the Committee will examine individual communications of violations of the Convention in closed session, and consider follow-up information submitted by States parties in relation to the observations and recommendations of the Committee. In accordance with a decision taken at its seventy-third session the Committee will consider matters related to the Universal Periodic Review of the Human Rights Council and discuss possible follow up activities to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and the Durban Review Conference. The Committee will also discuss a draft general recommendation on racial discrimination against people of African descent, and during the afternoon of 25 August the Committee with hold an informal meeting with States parties at the Palais des Nations to discuss the Committee’s working methods.

At its first meeting, after the opening of the session by the High Commissioner for Human Rights or her representative and the adoption of the agenda, the Committee will hold a dialogue with United Nations specialized agencies and other competent bodies in a closed meeting.

Background on Reports to Be Considered at This Session

Seven of the nine States parties whose reports are being examined at the present session have previously been reviewed by the Committee; Kenya and Paraguay are presenting reports before the Committee for the first time.

The Committee considered the first through fourth periodic reports of Albania in August 2003, and its concluding observations on the report can be found in document COB/C/ALB/1-4. It examined the sixth and seventh periodic reports of the Czech Republic in March 2007, and issued concluding observations in document CERD/C/CZE/CO/7. In August 2005 the Committee reviewed the second and third periodic reports of Georgia, and published its concluding observations on it in document CERD/C/GEO/CO/3. It considered the third and fourth periodic reports of the Maldives in January 1992 and issued concluding observations in document A/47/18/SUPP. In March 2000, the Committee took up the combined thirteenth and fourteenth periodic reports of Malta, and published concluding observations on those reports in document CERD/C/304/Add.94. It examined the seventeenth and eighteenth periodic reports of Ukraine, in August 2006, and made public its concluding observations in document CERD/C/UKR/CO/18. The Committee considered the sixteenth and seventeenth periodic reports of the United Kingdom in August 2003, and concluding observations on those reports can be found in document CERD/C/63/CO/11.

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination

Adopted in 1965 by the General Assembly, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination entered into force on 4 January 1969. The Convention defines racial discrimination as any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life.

Under the Convention, States parties commit themselves to condemn racial discrimination and undertake to pursue, by all appropriate means and without delay, a policy of eliminating racial discrimination in all its forms and promoting understanding among all races. To that end, each State Party undertakes to engage in no act or practice of racial discrimination against persons, groups of persons or institutions and to ensure that all public authorities and public institutions, national and local, shall act in conformity with this obligation; not to sponsor, defend or support racial discrimination by any persons or organizations; to take effective measures to review governmental, national and local policies, and to amend, rescind or nullify any laws and regulations which have the effect of creating or perpetuating racial discrimination wherever it exists; to prohibit and bring to an end, by all appropriate means, including legislation as required by circumstances, racial discrimination by any persons, group or organization; to encourage, where appropriate, integrationist multiracial organizations and movements and other means of eliminating barriers between races, and to discourage anything which tends to strengthen racial division.

In accordance with article 4, States parties also undertake to condemn all propaganda and all organizations which are based on ideas or theories of superiority of one race or group of persons of one colour or ethnic origin, or which attempt to justify or promote racial hatred and discrimination in any form, and undertake to adopt immediate and positive measures designed to eradicate all incitement to, or acts of, such discrimination.

States parties, by virtue of article 9, undertake to submit a report on the legislative, judicial, administrative or other measures which they have adopted and which give effect to the provisions of this Convention. To ensure the implementation and the respect of their obligations under the Convention by States parties, the Convention establishes the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to examine the reports presented by States parties.

In addition, as provided in article 14, a State Party may at any time declare that it recognizes the competence of the Committee to receive and consider communications from individuals or groups of individuals within its jurisdiction claiming to be victims of a violation by that State Party of any of the rights set forth in this Convention. No communication shall be received by the Committee if it concerns a State party that has not made such a declaration. To date 54 States parties have made a declaration under this article.

States Parties to the Convention

At present, the following 174 States are parties to the Convention: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, United States of America, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Communications Under Article 14

Under article 14 of the Convention, the Committee considers communications from individuals or groups of individuals claiming to be victims of a violation by States parties of any of the rights set forth in the Convention, provided the States concerned have recognized the competence of the Committee in this regard. The following 54 States parties have already done so: Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Senegal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Ukraine, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Committee Membership

The members of the Committee, elected in their individual capacity, are: Nourredine Amir (Algeria); Alexei Avtonomov (Russian Federation); José Francisco Cali Tzay (Guatemala); Anastasia Crickley (Ireland); Fatimata-Binta Victoria Dah (Burkina Faso); Ion Diaconu (Romania); Kokou Mawuena Ika Kana (Dieudonné) Ewomsan (Togo); Régis de Gouttes (France); Huang Yong'an (China); Anwar Kemal (Pakistan); Dilip Lahiri (India); Gün Kut (Turkey); José Augusto Lindgren Alves (Brazil); Pastor Elias Murillo Martinez (Colombia); Chris Maina Peter (Tanzania); Pierre-Richard Prosper (United States of America); Waliakoye Saidou (Niger); and Patrick Thornberry (United Kingdom).

Anwar Kemal is the Chairperson of the Committee. José Francisco Cali Tzay, Fatimata-Binta Victoria Dah and Pierre-Richard Prosper are Vice-Chairpersons and Ion Diaconu serves as Committee Rapporteur.

Timetable for Opening Meeting and Consideration of State Party Reports

Monday, 8 August

10 a.m. Opening of Session; Adoption of agenda;
Dialogue with United Nations agencies and entities (closed meeting)

3 p.m. Closed meeting

Tuesday, 9 August

10 a.m. Meeting with non-governmental organizations

3 p.m. Closed Meeting

Wednesday, 10 August

10 a.m. Closed Meeting

3 p.m. Paraguay: combined first through third period reports (CERD/C/PRY/1-3)

Thursday, 11 August

10 a.m. Paraguay (continued)

3 p.m. Maldives: combined fifth through twelfth periodic reports (CERD/C/MDV/5-12)

Friday, 12 August

10 a.m. Maldives (continued)

3 p.m. Closed Meeting

Monday, 15 August

10 a.m. Meeting with non-governmental organizations

3 p.m. Kenya: combined first through fourth periodic reports (CERD/C/KEN/1-4)

Tuesday, 16 August

10 a.m. Kenya (continued)

3 p.m. Georgia: combined fourth and fifth periodic reports (CERD/C/GEO/4-5)

Wednesday, 17 August

10 a.m. Georgia (continued)

3 p.m. Ukraine: combined nineteenth through twenty-first periodic reports (CERD/C/UKR/19-21)

Thursday, 18 August

10 a.m. Ukraine (continued)

3 p.m. Czech Republic: initial report (CERD/C/CZE/8-9)

Friday, 19 August

10 a.m. Czech Republic (continued)

3 p.m. Closed Meeting

Monday, 22 August

10 a.m. Meeting with non-governmental organizations

3 p.m. Albania: combined fifth through eighth periodic reports (CERD/C/ALB/5-8)

Tuesday, 23 August

10 a.m. Albania (continued)

3 p.m. United Kingdom: combined eighteenth through twentieth periodic reports (CERD/C/GBR/18-20)

Wednesday, 24 August

10 a.m. United Kingdom (continued)

3 p.m. Malta: combined fifteenth through twentieth periodic reports (CRD/C/MLT/15-20)

Thursday, 25 August

10 a.m. Malta (continued)

3 p.m. Meeting with States parties

Friday, 2 September

10 a.m. Closed Meeting

3 p.m. Closing of session

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For use of the information media; not an official record