Committee on the Elimination
  of Racial Discrimination

19 November 2015

BACKGROUND RELEASE
 
Committee to Review the Situation in the Holy See, Lithuania, Egypt, Slovenia, Mongolia and Turkey, and Mark the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Convention

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination will hold its eighty-eighth session at the Palais Wilson in Geneva from 23 November to 11 December to review anti-discrimination efforts undertaken by the Holy See, Lithuania, Egypt, Slovenia, Mongolia and Turkey.

The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 21 December 1965. To mark the Convention’s fiftieth anniversary, the Committee is holding an event on Thursday, 26 November in Room XX at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, “ICERD - Fifty years of fighting racial discrimination: looking back and moving forward”.  More information is available here: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CERD/50/Pages/Icerd50.aspx

At the opening meeting, the Committee will hear from a representative of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and adopt its agenda.  During the session, the Committee will hold informal meetings with non-governmental organizations that will brief the Committee on the situation in the countries whose reports it will consider.  It will also continue to review its working methods.  The Committee will consider communications that have been submitted to it under article 14 of the Convention.  In addition, it will discuss follow-up activities to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action adopted at the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, and to the Durban Review Conference.

The public sessions run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.  Live webcasts can be viewed at www.treatybodywebcast.org .

The Holy See is presenting its combined sixteenth to twenty-third periodic report CERD/C/VAT/16-23.  The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the combined thirteenth to fifteenth periodic report of the Holy See, considered in August 2000, can be found in CERD/C/304/Add.89.

Lithuania is presenting its combined sixth to eighth periodic report CERD/C/LTU/6-8.  The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the combined fourth and fifth periodic report of Lithuania, considered in March 2011, can be found in CERD/C/LTU/CO/4-5.

Egypt is presenting its combined seventeenth to twenty-second periodic report CERD/C/EGY/17-22, while the Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the combined thirteenth to sixteenth periodic report of Egypt, considered in August 2001, can be read in A/56/18(SUPP).
 
Slovenia is presenting its combined eighth to eleventh periodic report CERD/C/SVN/8-11.  The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the combined sixth and seventh periodic report of Slovenia, which was considered in August 2010, can be found in CERD/C/SVN/CO/6-7.

Mongolia is presenting its combined nineteenth to twenty-second periodic report CERD/C/MNG/19-22, while the last concluding observations and recommendations by the Committee, on the eighteenth periodic report of Mongolia, considered in August 2006, can be read in CERD/C/MNG/CO/18.

Turkey is presenting its combined fourth to sixth periodic report CERD/C/TUR/4-6, and the Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the third periodic report of Turkey, considered in February 2009, can be found in CERD/C/TUR/CO/3.

More information, including the States’ submitted reports and information from non-governmental organizations, can be found here: http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=998&Lang=en
The concluding observations and recommendations on the reports that are reviewed will be published at the above link on Friday, 11 December.  The Committee will hold a news conference at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, 11 December at the Palais des Nations in Geneva to discuss its findings.
 
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination

This year, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination marks its fiftieth anniversary.  It is the longest established of the main human rights treaties and was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 21 December 1965.

The Convention entered into force on 4 January 1969.  It 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

As of November 2015, 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 57 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, Panama, 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.

Programme of Work

Monday, 23 November

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

3 p.m.           Inter-sessional activities

Tuesday, 24 November 

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

3 p.m.           Consideration of the combined sixteenth to twenty-third report of the Holy See CERD/C/VAT/16-23
 
Wednesday, 25 November

10 a.m.         Holy See (continued)

3 p.m.           Closed session
 
Thursday, 26 November

10 a.m.         Marking of the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the Convention

3 p.m.           Marking of the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the Convention

Friday, 27 November

10 a.m.         Consideration of the combined sixth to eighth periodic report of Lithuania
                    CERD/C/LTU/6-8

3 p.m.           Lithuania (continued)

Monday, 30 November

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

3 p.m.           Consideration of the combined seventeenth to twenty-second periodic report of Egypt CERD/C/EGY/17-22

Tuesday, 1 December

10 a.m.         Egypt (continued)

3 p.m.          Consideration of the combined eighth to eleventh periodic report of Slovenia                 CERD/C/SVN/8-11
 
Wednesday, 2 December

10 a.m.         Slovenia (continued)

3 p.m.           Consideration of the combined nineteenth to twenty-second periodic report of       
                     Mongolia CERD/C/MNG/19-22

Thursday, 3 December
 
10 a.m.         Mongolia (continued)

3 p.m.           Consideration of the combined fourth to sixth periodic report of Turkey 
                    CERD/C/TUR/4-6

Friday, 4 December

10 a.m.         Turkey (continued)

3 p.m.           Closed session

Monday, 7 December
 
10 a.m.         Closed session

3 p.m.           Closed session

Tuesday, 8 December
 
10 a.m.         Closed session

3 p.m.           Closed session
 
Wednesday, 9 December
 
10 a.m.         Closed session

3 p.m.           Closed session
 
Thursday, 10 December
 
10 a.m.         Closed session

3 p.m.           Closed session
 
Friday, 11 December
 
10 a.m.         Closed session

3 p.m.           Public closing of the eighty-eighth session

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