Human Rights Committee holds its one hundred and twelfth session in Geneva from 7 to 31 october 2014

ROUNDUP

2 October 2014

Experts to Review Reports of Sri Lanka, Burundi, Haiti, Malta, Montenegro, Israel

The Human Rights Committee will hold its one hundred and twelfth session in Geneva from 7 to 31 October during which it will review the reports of Sri Lanka, Burundi, Haiti, Malta, Montenegro and Israel on how they are implementing the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

On Monday, 7 October, the Committee will hear an address by the High Commissioner for Human Rights or his representative and will also adopt its agenda and programme of work. During the session, the Committee will hear, in closed meetings, from United Nations organizations, specialized agencies, non-governmental organizations and national human rights institutions on the situation in the countries that it will review.

On Friday 10 October the Committee members have been invited to attend a special celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Second Optional Protocol to the Covenant outside the Palais Wilson. During the session it will also hear progress reports from its Special Rapporteurs on Follow-up to Concluding Observations and on Follow-up to Views. In addition, the Committee will discuss its methods of work. The Committee will also consider a number of individual communications in closed meetings – a total of 457 communications are pending before the Committee - and will continue its discussion on a draft General Comment on Article 9 on the right of everyone to liberty and security of person and freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention.

Of the six States parties presenting reports during the session, two are initial reports - Haiti (CCPR/C/HTI/1) and Montenegro (CCPR/C/MNE/1) – and the other four have been reviewed by the Committee previously. Burundi is presenting its second periodic report (CCPR/C/BDI/2) and the Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the initial report, which was considered in March 2007, can be found in (CCPR/C/BDI/CO/1). Israel is presenting its fourth periodic report (CCPR/C/ISR/4) and the Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the third periodic report, which was considered in September 2010, can be found in (CCPR/C/ISR/CO/3). Malta is also presenting its second periodic report (CCPR/C/MLT/2) and the Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the initial report, which was considered in November 1993, can be found in (CCPR/C/ISR/CO/3). Sri Lanka will present its fifth periodic report (CCPR/C/LKA/5) and the Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the four periodic report, which was considered in December 2003 can be found in (CCPR/C/LKA/CO/5).

The sessions take place at Palais Wilson, Geneva. Live webcasts of the public sessions can be viewed at http://www.treatybodywebcast.org. A news conference is tentatively scheduled for Thursday 30 October at 1.30 p.m.

The country reports, lists of issues and other documentation relating to the session can be found here. The concluding observations of the Human Rights Committee will be made available on Thursday 30 October here.

Background on the Covenant

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights was adopted by the General Assembly and opened for signature in 1966 and entered into force in 1976. The Covenant begins by stating that all peoples have the right of self-determination. It recognizes that everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. It prohibits torture, cruel or degrading treatment or punishment, and the arbitrary deprivation of life. Anyone arrested is to be informed of the reasons for the arrest, and anyone arrested or detained on a criminal charge is to be brought promptly before a judge or another legally authorized person.

The Covenant also provides, among other rights, for freedom of movement, and places limitations upon the expulsion of aliens present lawfully in the territory of a State party. In addition, the rights to freedom of thought, conscience and religion and to freedom of expression are recognized by the Covenant, which also prohibits any propaganda for war or any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred.

States Parties to Covenant

The following 168 States have ratified or acceded to the Covenant: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, 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, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Samoa, San Marino, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, State of Palestine, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, United States of America, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Optional Protocols to the Covenant

The Optional Protocol to the Covenant provides for the confidential consideration of communications from individuals who claim to be victims of a violation of any rights recognized in the Covenant. The Committee can receive no communications if it concerns a State party to the Covenant that is not also a party to the Optional Protocol.

The following 115 States are parties to the Optional Protocol: Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Finland, France, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lesotho, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Montenegro, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, Tajikistan, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela and Zambia.

The Human Rights Committee is also mandated, under article 41 of the Covenant, to consider communications from a State party alleging violations of the Covenants provisions by another State party. This procedure can be applied when both States recognize this competence of the Committee by a relevant declaration.

The Second Optional Protocol to the Covenant, which aims at the abolition of the death penalty, was adopted by the General Assembly on 15 December 1989 and entered into force on 11 July 1991. The following 81 States have ratified or acceded to the Second Optional Protocol: Albania, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Rwanda, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, and Venezuela.

Membership of the Committee

The States parties to the Covenant elect the Committee's 18 expert members who serve in their individual capacity for four-year terms. Article 28 of the Covenant requires that "they shall be persons of high moral character and recognized competence in the field of human rights." They are:

Yadh Ben Achour (Tunisia); Lazhari Bouzid (Algeria); Christine Chanet (France); Ahmad Amin Fathalla (Egypt); Cornelis Flinterman (The Netherlands); Yuji Iwasawa (Japan); Walter Kalin (Switzerland); Zonke Zanele Majodina (South Africa); Gerarld L. Neuman (United States); Nigel Rodley (United Kingdom); Victor Manuel Rodriguez-Rescia (Costa Rica); Fabian Omar Salvioli (Argentina); Mr. D. B. Seetulsingh (Mauritius);Anja Seibert-Fohr (Germany); Yuval Shany (Israel); Konstantine Vardzelashvili (Georgia); Margo Waterval (Suriname); and Andrei Paul Zlatescu (Romania).

Mr. Rodley is the Chairperson. The Vice-Chairpersons are Mr. Ben Achour, Ms. Waterval and Mr. Vardzelashvili. Mr. Flinterman is the Rapporteur.


Programme of Work

Monday 6 October

UNITED NATIONS HOLIDAY

Tuesday 7 October

10 a.m. Opening of session, adoption of the agenda, report of the working group

10.45 a.m. Briefings by UN organizations, and specialized agencies (closed)

11.45 a.m. Non-Governmental Organizations and National Human Rights Institutions briefings on Sri Lanka, Burundi and Haiti (closed)

3 p.m. Review of the fifth report of Sri Lanka (CCPR/C/LKA/5)

Wednesday 8 October

10 a.m. Review of the fifth report of Sri Lanka (continued)

3 p.m. Review of the second report of Burundi (CCPR/C/BDI/2)

Thursday 9 October

10 a.m. Review of the second report of Burundi (continued)

3 p.m. Review of the initial report of Haiti (CCPR/C/HTI/1)

Friday 10 October

10 a.m. Review of the initial report of Haiti (continued)

3 p.m. Communications (closed)

5 p.m. Celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR (public)

Monday 13 October
10 a.m. Draft General Comment on article 9 (public)

12.30 p.m. Briefings by UN organizations, and specialized agencies (closed)

11.45 a.m. Non-Governmental Organizations and National Human Rights Institutions briefings on Montenegro and Malta (closed)

3 p.m. Review of the second report of Malta (CCPR/C/MLT/2)

Tuesday 14 October

10 a.m. Review of the second report of Malta (continued)

3 p.m. Review of the initial report of Montenegro (CCPR/C/MNE/1)

Wednesday 15 October

10 a.m. Review of the second report of Malta (continued)

3 p.m. Communications (closed)

Thursday 16 October

10 a.m. Communications (closed)

3 p.m. Draft General Comment on article 9 (public)

Friday 17 October

10 a.m. Draft General Comment on article 9 (public)

3 p.m. Communications (closed)

5.15 p.m. Non-governmental organization briefing on Israel (closed)

Monday 20 October

10 a.m. Review of the fourth report of Israel (CCPR/C/ISR/4)

3 p.m. Review of the fourth report of Israel (continued)

Tuesday 21 October

10 a.m. Communications (closed)

3 p.m. Communications (closed)

Wednesday 22 October

10 a.m. Communications (closed)

3 p.m. Communications (closed)

Thursday 23 October

10 a.m. Progress report of Special Rapporteur on Follow-up to Concluding Observations (public)

11.30 a.m. Progress report of Special Rapporteur on Follow-up to Views (public)

3 p.m. Draft General Comment on article 9 (public)

Friday, 24 October

10 a.m. Communications (closed)

3 p.m. Communications (closed)


Monday, 27 October

10 a.m. Methods of work (public)

3 p.m. Concluding Observations (closed)

Friday, 31 October

10 a.m. (closed)

3 p.m. Methods of work and public closing


For more information please contact:
Liz Throssell – UN Human Rights Office Media Unit (+41 (0) 22 917 9466 / ethrossell@ohchr.org)

To arrange an interview with a Committee member, please contact Kate Fox (+41 (0) 22 917 9398/ kfox@ohchr.org)

Human Rights Committee: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CCPR/Pages/CCPRIndex.aspx

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, visit: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/CCPR.aspx

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