COMMITTEE ON ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION OPENS SIXTY-NINTH SESSION

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination this morning opened its sixty-ninth session at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. The Committee adopted its agenda and programme of work for the session, during which it will consider the reports of Estonia, Yemen, South Africa, Oman, Mongolia, Denmark, Norway and Ukraine. The Committee also heard an address by the Team Leader of the Treaties and Council Branch of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Alessio Bruni.

In response to the concerns cited by several Experts at this morning's meeting, the Committee also decided to hold a general debate on the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon on the morning of Thursday, 3 August, when it had originally been scheduled to consider the periodic report of Israel. Following a request from the Israeli authorities citing the situation in the region, the periodic report of Israel has been postponed till the Committee's next session, in March 2007. Régis de Gouttes, Chairperson of the Committee, explained that, under the circumstances, it had been impossible to refuse Israel’s request; he had, nevertheless, asked Israel to respond to the Committee’s written questions by the end of the year, with a view to considering Israel’s report at the Committee’s next session in March 2007.

In his statement, Mr. Bruni said that of particular interest for treaty bodies was the new Human Rights Council’s obligation to undertake a universal periodic review of the fulfilment of each State of its human rights obligations and commitments. Another historic milestone had been the entry into force of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture on 22 June 2006, establishing a system of regular visits to places of detention by international and national independent expert bodies. States parties ratifying the Optional Protocol would accept unannounced visits to places of detention by those bodies.

Mr. Bruni observed that, since the Committee last met, Djibouti had signed the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and nine States parties had submitted their periodic reports. During the present session, the Committee would examine the periodic reports of eight States parties and would review the implementation of the Convention in several States parties whose reports were seriously overdue. In addition, members would have a dialogue with Ms. Gay McDougall, Independent Expert on Minority issues.

When the Committee meets again at 3 p.m. this afternoon it will begin its consideration of the sixth and seventh periodic reports of Estonia, presented in one document (CERD/C/465/Add.1).

Statement

ALESSIO BRUNI, Team Leader of the Treaties and Council Branch of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that the past few months had been particularly intense, challenging and fruitful in the human rights area. Following the adoption of General Assembly resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006, the Human Rights Council had held its first session from 19 to 30 June 2006. As the main organ within the United Nations system with responsibility for the promotion and protection of human rights, the Council had been mandated to address human rights violations; promote human rights education, technical assistance and capacity-building; contribute to the prevention of human rights violations; and respond promptly to human rights emergencies. Of particular interest for treaty bodies was the Council’s mandate to undertake a universal periodic review of the fulfilment of each State of its human rights obligations and commitments. The General Assembly underlined that such a mechanism should complement and not duplicate the work of treaty bodies. At its first session, the Council had decided to establish an intersessional open-ended working group to develop the modalities of the universal periodic review mechanism.

Mr. Bruni said that he would also like to draw attention to the fact that several States standing for election to the Human Rights Council had made specific commitments relevant to the international human rights treaties, and their treaty obligations – such as ratification of treaties, withdrawal of reservations, submission of reports and implementation of concluding observations. Those pledges could be viewed on the OHCHR website and might be of particular value for the Committee in carrying out its activities.

Among the achievements of the Council at its first session, Mr. Bruni highlighted the adoption of the Draft International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, and of the draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which would be submitted to the General Assembly for adoption. Finally, on 5 and 6 July 2006, the Council had held a special session to consider the latest escalation of the situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories and had adopted a resolution calling for an urgent fact-finding mission of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, John Dugard. A request in that regard had been transmitted to the Israeli authorities and was still under consideration.

Mr. Bruni drew attention to the entry into force of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture on 22 June 2006 – a historic milestone in the fight against torture. It would establish a system of regular visits to places of detention carried by international and national independent expert bodies. States parties ratifying the Optional Protocol would accept unannounced visits to places of detention by those bodies.

With regard to treaty body reform, Mr. Bruni recalled that an informal brainstorming meeting on the High Commissioner’s proposal for a unified standing treaty body had been held from 14 to 16 July 2006 in Malbun, Liechtenstein, where Linos-Alexandre Sicilianos, Expert of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, had presented a paper on the establishment of a single body to deal with individual complaints. A summary of the outcome of the Malbun meeting would be available shortly and a meeting of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to discuss those results would be organized at a future date. At the end of a whole series of consultations and inputs sought from treaty bodies’ experts, States parties, and non-governmental organizations and interested parties, an intergovernmental consultation with States parties would be convened – probably in May 2007. In conformity with the High Commissioner’s Plan of Action and OHCHR Strategic Management Plan, particular focus had been placed in achieving greater awareness, understanding and support for the implementation of treaty bodies’ recommendations and country engagement strategies. In that regard, OHCHR had continued to undertake training workshops funded by the European Commission with a view to strengthening the capacity of key target groups.

Since the Committee last met, Djibouti had signed the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and nine States parties had submitted their periodic reports. During the present session, the Committee would examine the periodic reports of eight States parties and would review the implementation of the Convention in several States parties whose reports were seriously overdue. In addition, members would have a dialogue with Ms. Gay McDougall, Independent Expert on Minority issues.

Concluding, Mr. Bruni informed members that, since 1 July, Maria Francisca Ize-Charrin had taken up her new functions as Director of Operations of the Programmes and Research Division, and that Mr. Bacre N’Diaye had assumed his new functions as Director of the Procedures Division as of 19 July 2006.

For use of the information media; not an official record

CRD06017E