Leading UN human rights experts to hold annual meeting in Costa Rica 22-26 June

Talks with representatives of Inter-American human rights system scheduled

GENEVA (8 June  2015) – The heads of the 10 UN human rights expert committees, known as the Treaty Bodies, will hold their annual meeting from 22 to 26 June at the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights in San José, Costa Rica. The Chairpersons are scheduled to meet Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solís on 22 June.

By meeting in Latin America, the Chairpersons, whose committees monitor the major international human rights treaties, want to strengthen co-operation between the Treaty Body system and the Inter-American human rights system. They will hold consultations with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

The adoption of a set of guidelines to prevent and address reprisals against those who cooperate with the Treaty Body system is also high on the Chairpersons’ agenda.  The Chairpersons also use their annual meetings, held previously in Addis Ababa and Brussels, to hear from people directly affected by human rights violations, and in San José they will meet civil society representatives from across the Americas.

“Our committees are composed of independent experts from around the world, and our work involves assisting States from every region to fully comply with human rights treaties,” said Claudio Grossman, Chair of the Committee against Torture and President of the Inter-American Institute for Human Rights.

“ For Latin America, the Caribbean and North America, it is invaluable to continue and deepen a fruitful dialogue with States, civil society and the organs of the Inter-American system of human rights in a region which has made important advances in the protection of human rights but where challenges remain,” Mr Grossman added.

“As the Chairpersons of the 10 Treaty Bodies, we are delighted to be meeting in Costa Rica with its long record of support for human rights,” said Malcolm Evans, Chairperson of the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture.

The Chairpersons will hold a news conference at the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights, located at Av. 8 Calles 41-43, No. 222, Los Yoses, San José, on Friday 26 June at 12:00 local time to discuss the outcome of their meeting.

ENDS

For more information and media requests, please contact:
In San Jose from 22-26 June:  Birgit Van Hout, Secretary, Annual Meeting of Treaty Body Chairpersons: bvanhout@ohchr.org / 
In Geneva: Liz Throssell, UN Human Right Office Media Unit: ethrossell@ohchr.org/ +41 22 917 9466 / +41 79 7520488

BACKGROUND:

Treaty Body Chairpersons:

Malcolm Evans (UK), Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture
Emmanuel Decaux (France), Committee on Enforced Disappearances
Fabian Salvioli (Argentina), Human Rights Committee
Waleed Sadi (Jordan), Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Jose Francisco Cali Tzay (Guatemala), Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
Yoko Hayashi (Japan), Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
Claudio Grossman (Chile), Committee against Torture
Benyam Dawit Mezmur (Ethiopia), Committee on the Rights of the Child
Francisco Carrion Mena (Ecuador), Committee on Migrant Workers
Maria Soledad Cisternas Reyes (Chile), Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

For more information about the UN Treaty Bodies:
http://www.ohchr.org/en/treaty-bodies/videos-about-treaty-bodies

Treaty Bodies at a glance – pdf booklet:
http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/TB/TB_booklet_sp.pdf