COMMITTEE ON ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES CONCLUDES FIRST SESSION

The Committee on Enforced Disappearances this afternoon concluded its first session, which began on 8 November at Palais Wilson in Geneva. During the four-day session, which was held mostly in private, the Committee mainly discussed its rules of procedure and methods of work. It also elected its Chairperson, Vice-Chairpersons and Rapporteur.

Emmanuael Decaux, an expert from France elected as Chairperson, announced at the closing meeting today that the Committee was “now up and running” after adopting draft rules of procedure and a thematic programme of work. He summed up the spirit of the Committee with three words: continuity – including the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances; consistency – the Committee had a duty to victims to avoid duplication and always clarify; and vigilance – the Committee must have a culture of emergency and send a clear message to all stakeholders that they plan to work at any time when a situation of emergency arises. Stressing that the Committee was universal, Mr. Decaux said the Committee would encourage all signatory State parties to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances and would assist State parties to do so, particularly through model legislation.

During the session the Committee met for the first time with the Working Group on enforced or involuntary disappearances, which was also meeting in Geneva this week, in order to establish methodologies for coordination and an exchange of experiences and views. The Committee and the Working Group agreed to convene joint meetings in the future. The Committee held a public meeting with representatives of States parties, signatory States and member States of the United Nations. It also met with non-governmental organizations.

The Committee is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the provisions of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons against Enforced Disappearances, which was effective 23 December 2010. The Convention has so far been ratified by 30 countries: Albania, Germany, Argentina, Armenia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, Spain, France, Gabon, Honduras, Iraq, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mali, Mexico, Montenegro, Nigeria, Panama, Paraguay, Netherlands, Senegal, Serbia, Tunisia, Uruguay and Zambia.

The Committee is composed of ten independent experts with recognized competence in the field of human rights, serving in their personal capacity and acting impartially. The following experts were elected by States Parties on 31 May 2011: Mohammed Al-Obaidi (Iraq), Mamadou Badio Camara (Senegal), Mr. Emmanuel Decaux (France), Alvaro García y Santos Garcés ( Uruguay), Mr. Luciano Hazan (Argentina), Rainer Huhle (Germany), Ms. Janina Suela (Albania), Mr. Juan José López Ortega (Spain), Mr. Enoch Mulembe (Zambia) and Mr. Kimio Yakushiji (Japan ).

The next session of The Committee on Enforced Disappearances will take place in Geneva from 26 to 30 March 2012.


For use of the information media; not an official record

CED11/004E