Human Rights Committee Closes One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Session after Adopting Concluding Observations on Bolivia, Cambodia, Israel, Iraq and Qatar

The Human Rights Committee today concluded its one hundred and thirty-fourth session after adopting its concluding observations on the reports of Bolivia, Cambodia, Israel and Qatar.

Photini Pazartzis, Committee Chair, expressed appreciation for delegates who had participated in dialogues in person, as on-line meetings could not replace in-person meetings. The Committee deeply regretted that the Russian Federation was not able to travel to Geneva to participate in the scheduled review of its eighth periodic report.

During the session, the Committee had considered lists of issues on Brazil, Egypt and Turkmenistan. In addition, under the Optional Protocol on a communications procedure, it had adopted 48 decisions on individual communications, of which 22 had been decided on the merits. 10 cases had been declared inadmissible, and 16 communications were discontinued. Regarding the cases decided on the merits, the Committee had found violations in 21 of them.

Further, the Committee during its session had adopted a Progress Report on Follow-Up to Concluding Observations, considering the follow-up reports of Australia, Guatemala, Lebanon and Norway. The Committee had noted good progress by those States parties in the implementation of Committee recommendations. The Committee had also adopted a Progress Report on Follow-Up to Views concerning individual communications relating to Canada, Cameron, Colombia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Russian Federation and Tajikistan. The Committee would review its guidelines on the procedure for follow-up to views at its one hundred and thirty-fifth session. In addition, the Committee had adopted its Annual Report to the General Assembly.

The Committee welcomed that Kazakhstan yesterday had ratified the Second Optional Protocol of the Covenant concerning the death penalty.

At its one hundred and thirty-fifth session, scheduled to be held from 27 June to 29 July 2022, the Committee would review the periodic reports of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China; Macau, Special Administrative Region of China; Georgia; Ireland; Luxembourg; Russian Federation; Sri Lanka and Uruguay. The Committee would also adopt lists of issues in relation to Colombia, the State of Palestine and Uganda. Further, the Committee would evaluate Bahrain, El Salvador, Lithuania and Romania under its follow-up procedure to concluding observations. As capacity limits for conference rooms were scheduled be lifted on 4 April, the Committee looked forward to seeing stakeholders back in the conference room in person.

In concluding remarks, the Chair thanked all who worked with the Committee as well as Committee Experts for their hard work, professionalism, enthusiasm and commitment during the session.

Committee Experts also thanked the Chair for her expert guidance, calm leadership and good humour shown throughout the session. A Committee Expert stated that although some individual cases that had been analysed were heart-breaking, they showed the importance of the work of the Committee. The Expert thanked each member of the Committee for bringing added value to the work of the Committee and sharing their knowledge.

The one hundred and thirty-fifth session of the Committee is scheduled to be held from 27 June to 29 July 2022, during which it will review the periodic reports of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China; Macau, Special Administrative Region of China; Georgia; Ireland; Luxembourg; Russian Federation; Sri Lanka and Uruguay.

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