Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to hold eighty-sixth session in Geneva from 27 April to 15 May

BACKGROUND RELEASE

23 April 2015

Committee to Review the Situation in France, Guatemala, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sudan, Germany and Denmark

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination will hold its eighty-sixth session at the Palais Wilson in Geneva from 27 April to 15 May to review anti-discrimination efforts undertaken by the Governments of France, Guatemala, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sudan, Germany and Denmark.

France is presenting its combined twentieth and twenty-first periodic report CERD/C/FRA/20-21. The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the combined seventeenth to nineteenth periodic report, considered in August 2010, can be found in CERD/C/FRA/CO/17-19.

Guatemala is presenting its combined fourteenth and fifteenth periodic report CERD/C/GTM/14-15. The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the combined twelfth and thirteenth periodic report, considered in March 2010, can be found in CERD/C/GTM/CO/12-13.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is presenting its combined ninth to eleventh periodic report CERD/C/BIH/9-11. The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the
seventh and eighth periodic report, considered in September 2010, can be found in CERD/C/BIH/CO/7-8.

Sudan is presenting its combined twelfth to sixteenth periodic report CERD/C/SDN/12-16.
The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the combined twelfth to sixteenth periodic report, considered in April 2011, can be found in CERD/C/304/Add.116.

Germany is presenting its combined nineteenth to twenty-second periodic report CERD/C/DEU/19-22. The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the eighteenth periodic report, considered in September 2008, can be found in CERD/C/DEU/CO/18.

Denmark is presenting its combined twentieth and twenty-first periodic report CERD/C/DNK/20-21. The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the combined eighteenth and nineteenth periodic report, considered in September 2010, can be found in CERD/C/DNK/CO/18-19.

At the opening meeting, the Committee will adopt its agenda. During the session, the Committee will hold informal meetings with non-governmental organizations that will brief it on the situation in the countries whose reports it will consider. It will also continue to review 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.http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=894&Lang=en

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 55 States parties have made a declaration under this article.

States Parties to the Convention

At present, the following 177 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, Grenada, 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, State of Palestine, 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 56 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, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Senegal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Ukraine, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Membership of the Committee

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination is made up of the following 18 independent experts: Noureddine Amir (Algeria); Alexei Avtonomov (Russian Federation); Marc Bossuyt (Belgium); Jose Francisco Cali Tzay (Guatemala); Anastasia Crickley (Ireland); Fatimata-Binta Victoire Dah (Burkina Faso); Ion Diaconu (Romania); Afiwa Kindena Hohoueto (Togo); Yong’an Huang (China); Patricia Nozipho January-Bardill (South Africa); Anwasr Kemal (Pakistan); Melhem Khalaf (Lebanon); Gun Kut (Turkey); Dilip Lahiri (India); Jose A. Lindgren Alves (Brazil); Pastor Elias Murillo Martinez (Colombia); Carlos Manuel Vazquez (United States); and Yeung Kam John Yeung Sik Yuen (Mauritius).

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


Timetable for Opening Meeting and Consideration of State Party Reports

Monday, 27 April

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

3 p.m. Intersessional activities

Tuesday, 28 April

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

3 p.m. France combined seventeenth to nineteenth periodic report CERD/C/FRA/20-21

Wednesday, 29 April

10 a.m. France (continued)

3 p.m. Guatemala combined fourteenth to fifteen periodic report CERD/C/GTM/14-15

Thursday, 30 April

10 a.m. Guatemala (continued)
3 p.m. Bosnia and Herzegovina combined ninth to eleventh periodic report CERD/C/BIH/9-11

Friday, 1 May

10 a.m. Bosnia and Herzegovina (continued)

3 p.m. Closed meeting

Monday, 4 May

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

3 p.m. Sudan combined twelfth to sixteenth periodic report CERD/C/SDN/12-16

Tuesday, 5 May

10 a.m. Sudan (continued)
3 p.m. Germany combined nineteenth to twenty-second periodic report CERD/C/DEU/19-22

Wednesday, 6 May

10 a.m. Germany (continued)

3 p.m. Denmark combined twentieth and twenty-first periodic report CERD/C/DNK/20-21

Thursday, 7 May

10 a.m. Denmark (continued)

3 p.m. Closed meeting

Friday, 8 May

10 a.m. Closed meeting

3 p.m. Closed meeting

Friday, 15 May

10 a.m. Follow-up procedure, Adoption of annual report

3 p.m. Public closing of the session.

For more information and media requests, please contact Liz Throssell (+41 22 917 9466 / ethrossell@ohchr.org).

For media accreditation please see: http://unog.ch/80256EDD006B9C2E/(httpPages)/70991F6887C73B2280256EE700379C58?OpenDocument

The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination is the longest established of the main international human rights treaties. It was adopted by the UN General Assembly 50 years ago on 21 December 1965.

To learn more about CERD visit:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CERD/Pages/CERDIndex.aspx


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