HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE CLOSES ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTEENTH SESSION

The Human Rights Committee today concluded its one hundred and sixteenth session after adopting concluding observations on the reports of South Africa, Namibia, Sweden, New Zealand, Slovenia, Costa Rica and Rwanda.

The concluding observations and recommendations on the seven country reports considered during the session are available at the webpage of the one hundred and sixteenth session.

During the session the Committee heard progress reports from its Special Rapporteurs on follow-up to concluding observations and on follow-up to views. The Committee also discussed its methods of work, as well as a number of individual communications in closed meetings. The Committee continued its discussion on a draft General Comment on Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, on the right to life.

Fabiàn Omar Salvioli, Committee Chairperson, in his closing remarks, said that the Committee had held a very productive and dense session, with seven country reports considered and seven concluding observations adopted and published. While no final press conference had been held, several Committee Members had responded to media queries. The Committee had also adopted seven Lists of Issues on Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Colombia, Jamaica, Morocco, Slovakia and Estonia, and two follow-up reports on views and concluding observations. The Committee had also adopted the Annual Report, as well as a formal decision on the translation of the follow-up documents, which should facilitate further work of the Committee. Work had continued on the draft General Comment on Article 6 on the right to life, said Mr. Salvioli. The Committee had held several meetings with non-governmental organizations and had an informal thematic briefing by the Child Rights International Network. Appreciation was expressed for the work of the Committee Members, the Secretariat and the civil sector.

The Committee’s one hundred and seventeenth session will be held from 20 June to 15 July 2016, during which it will consider the reports of Argentina, Burkina Faso, Denmark, Ecuador, Ghana, Kazakhstan and Kuwait. Those reports and related documentation can be found on the Committee’s webpage for the one hundred and seventeenth session.


For use of the information media; not an official record

CT16/014E