DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

Special Decisions or Action Taken Re: Reporting

CCPR A/48/40

Annex VIII

Letters from the chairman of the Committee concerning overdue reports

...

B. Letter dated 12 May 1993 from the Chairman of the Committee to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of ... Zaire, whose second or third periodic reports were overdue

"On behalf of the Human Rights Committee, which was established under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, I have the honour to invite Your Excellency's attention to a matter to which the Committee attaches special importance.

"Under article 40 of the Covenant, each State party undertakes to submit reports on the measures it has adopted to give effect to the rights recognized therein. Paragraph 1 (a) of that article provides for the submission of an initial report within one year of entry into force of the Covenant for the State party concerned, whereas paragraph 1 (b) calls for the submission of subsequent reports 'whenever the Committee so requests'.

"At its thirteenth session held in July 1981, the Human Rights Committee decided that States parties should submit periodic reports concerning the implementation of the provisions of the Covenant every five years. The due date established for the submission of [Zaire]'s [third] periodic report was [31 July 1991]. Unfortunately, that report has not yet been received.

"The submission of such reports is indispensable for continuing the Committee's constructive dialogue with States parties in the field of human rights. The non-submission of [Zaire]'s [third] periodic report is therefore a matter of great concern to the Committee. In view of the importance of this matter and the special difficulties being encountered in the implementation of the Covenant in [Zaire], it is my most earnest hope that its [third] periodic report will be submitted in the near future. (...)

(Signed) Nisuke Ando

Chairman

Human Rights Committee"