Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to hold eighty-second session in Geneva from 11 February to 1 March 2013

Committee on the Elimination  
    of Racial Discrimination 

7 February 2013

BACKGROUND RELEASE

Committee Will Review Situation in Algeria, Russian Federation, Kyrgyzstan, Slovakia, Mauritius, New Zealand and
Dominican Republic

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination will hold its eighty-second session at the Palais Wilson in Geneva from 11 February to 1 March to review anti-discrimination efforts undertaken by the Governments of Algeria, Russian Federation, Kyrgyzstan, Slovakia, Mauritius, New Zealand and the Dominican Republic. 

The seven States parties whose reports are being examined at the present session have previously been reviewed by the Committee. The previous concluding observations for each country can be accessed via the following hyperlinks: Algeria 2001 (CERD/C/304/Add.113); Russian Federation 2008 (CERD/C/RUS/CO/19); Kyrgyzstan 2007 (CERD/C/KGZ/CO/4); Slovakia 1010 (CERD/C/SVK/CO/6-8); Mauritius 2000 (CERD/C/SR/1401); New Zealand 2007 (CERD/C/NZL/CO/17); and Dominican Republic 2008 (CERD/C/DOM/CO/12).

During the session, the Committee will continue reviewing its working methods.

All documentation for this session, including State party and non-governmental organization shadow reports, is available on the webpage of the session.
 
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.

By signing up to the Convention, States parties commit themselves to condemn racial discrimination and to pursue, by all appropriate means and without delay, policies of eliminating racial discrimination in all its forms and promoting understanding among all races.  To that end, each State Party undertakes not to engage in any 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 175 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, Djibouti, 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); January Bardill (South Africa); 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); Waliakoye Saidou (Niger); Patrick Thornberry (United Kingdom); and Carlos Vazquez (United States).

Mr. Avtonomov is the Chairperson.  The Vice-Chairpersons are Mr. Amir, Mr. Cali Tzay and
Mr. Lahiri.  The Rapporteur is Ms. Crickley.



Timetable for Opening Meeting and Consideration of State Party Reports

Monday, 11 February

10 a.m.         Opening of session and adoption of agenda

3 p.m.          Closed meeting

Tuesday, 12 February

10 a.m.         Closed meeting

3 p.m.          Informal meeting with non-governmental organizations

Wednesday, 13 February

10 a.m.         Closed meeting

3 p.m.          Algeria combined 15th to 19th periodic report (CERD/C/DZA/15-19)

Thursday, 14 February

10 a.m.         Algeria (continued)

3 p.m.          Russian Federation combined 20th to 22nd periodic report (CERD/C/RUS/20-22)
 
Friday, 15 February

10 a.m.         Russian Federation (continued)

3 p.m.          Closed meeting

Monday, 18 February

10 a.m.         Informal meeting with non-governmental organizations

3 p.m.          Kyrgyzstan combined 5th to 7th periodic report (CERD/C/KGZ/5-7)

Tuesday, 19 February

10 a.m.         Kyrgyzstan (continued)
 
3 p.m.          Slovakia combined 9th and 10th periodic report (CERD/C/SVK/9-10)

Wednesday, 20 February

10 a.m.         Slovakia (continued)

3 p.m.          Mauritius combined 15th to 19th periodic report (CERD/C/MUS/15-19)

 
Thursday, 21 February

10 a.m.         Mauritius (continued)

3 p.m.          New Zealand combined 18th to 20th periodic report (CERT/NZL/18-20)
 
Friday, 22 February

10 a.m.         New Zealand (continued)

3 p.m.          Dominican Republic combined 13th and 14th periodic report
                   (CERD/C/DOM/13-14)

Monday, 25 February

10 a.m.         Dominican Republic (continued)

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