ETHIOPIA

Special Decisions or Action taken Re: Reporting, Including Urgent Action Procedure

CERD, A/60/18 (2005)

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Chapter V. Review of the implementation of the Convention in States parties whose reports are seriously overdue

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C. Action taken by the Committee to ensure submission of reports by States parties

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426. At its sixty-sixth and sixty-seventh sessions, the Committee reviewed the question of delays and non-submission of reports by States parties in accordance with their obligations under article 9 of the Convention.

427. At its forty-second session, the Committee, having emphasized that the delays in reporting by States parties hampered it in monitoring implementation of the Convention, decided that it would continue to proceed with the review of the implementation of the provisions of the Convention by the States parties whose reports were overdue by five years or more. In accordance with a decision taken at its thirty-ninth session, the Committee agreed that this review would be based upon the last reports submitted by the State party concerned and their consideration by the Committee. At its forty-ninth session, the Committee further decided that States parties whose initial reports were overdue by five years or more would also be scheduled for a review of implementation of the provisions of the Convention. The Committee agreed that in the absence of an initial report, the Committee would consider all information submitted by the State party to other organs of the United Nations or, in the absence of such material, reports and information prepared by organs of the United Nations. In practice the Committee also considers relevant information from other sources, including from non-governmental organizations, whether it is an initial or periodic report that is seriously overdue.

428. Following its sixty-fifth session, the Committee decided to schedule at its sixty-sixth session a review of the implementation of the Convention in the following States parties whose periodic reports were seriously overdue: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ethiopia, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Papua New Guinea... In the cases of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ethiopia and Nicaragua, the reviews were postponed at the request of the States parties, which indicated their intention to submit the requested reports shortly...

CERD, A/61/18 (2006)

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Chapter V. Review of the implementation of the Convention in States parties whose reports are seriously overdue

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C. Action taken by the Committee to ensure submission of reports by States parties

466. At its forty-second session, the Committee, having emphasized that the delays in reporting by States parties hampered it in monitoring implementation of the Convention, decided that it would continue to proceed with the review of the implementation of the provisions of the Convention by the States parties whose reports were overdue by five years or more. In accordance with a decision taken at its thirty-ninth session, the Committee agreed that this review would be based upon the last reports submitted by the State party concerned and their consideration by the Committee. At its forty-ninth session, the Committee further decided that States parties whose initial reports were overdue by five years or more would also be scheduled for a review of implementation of the provisions of the Convention. The Committee agreed that in the absence of an initial report, the Committee would consider all information submitted by the State party to other organs of the United Nations or, in the absence of such material, reports and information prepared by organs of the United Nations. In practice the Committee also considers relevant information from other sources, including from non-governmental organizations, whether it is an initial or periodic report that is seriously overdue.

467. Following its sixty-seventh session, the Committee decided to schedule at its sixty-eighth session a review of the implementation of the Convention in the following States parties whose periodic reports were seriously overdue: Antigua and Barbuda, Congo, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Nicaragua and Papua New Guinea...At its 1745th and 1746th meetings (sixty-eighth session), held on 1 March and 2 March 2006 respectively, the Committee reviewed the implementation of the Convention in Mozambique and Ethiopia (see paragraphs 470 and 471 below)...

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D. Decisions

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472. At its 1746th meeting, the Committee decided to request the Chairperson to send a letter to the Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to the United Nations. In his letter of 10 March 2006, the Chairperson informed the State party that it had reviewed the implementation of the Convention in Ethiopia in the absence of a report. The Chairperson regretted the interruption of a dialogue between the Committee and Ethiopia since 1990 and urged the State party to submit as soon as possible, in one combined document, its seventh to fifteenth periodic reports due from 1989 to 2005. In order to assist in the resumption of a dialogue, the Committee decided to send a list of questions to the State party and requested written responses to this list by 31 December 2006. In the absence of any response from Ethiopia by that date, the Committee would proceed with the adoption of concluding observations under its review procedure at its seventieth session, to be held in February/March 2007. The Committee drew the State party’s attention to the possibility of availing itself of the technical assistance offered under the advisory services and technical assistance programme of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

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CERD, A/62/18 (2007)

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Chapter V. Review of the implementation of the Convention in States parties whose reports are seriously overdue

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C. Action taken by the Committee to ensure submission of reports by States parties

504. At its forty-second session, the Committee, having emphasized that the delays in reporting by States parties hampered it in monitoring implementation of the Convention, decided that it would continue to proceed with the review of the implementation of the provisions of the Convention by the States parties whose reports were overdue by five years or more. In accordance with a decision taken at its thirty-ninth session, the Committee agreed that this review would be based upon the last reports submitted by the State party concerned and their consideration by the Committee. At its forty-ninth session, the Committee further decided that States parties whose initial reports were overdue by five years or more would also be scheduled for a review of implementation of the provisions of the Convention. The Committee agreed that in the absence of an initial report, the Committee would consider all information submitted by the State party to other organs of the United Nations or, in the absence of such material, reports and information prepared by organs of the United Nations. In practice the Committee also considers relevant information from other sources, including from non-governmental organizations, whether it is an initial or periodic report that is seriously overdue.

505. Following its sixty-ninth session, the Committee decided to schedule at its seventieth session the review of the implementation of the Convention in the following States parties whose periodic reports were seriously overdue: Congo, Ethiopia, Nicaragua and Papua New Guinea. In the cases of the Congo and Nicaragua, the reviews were postponed at the request of the States parties, which indicated their intention to submit the requested reports shortly. The Committee also decided to postpone the review of the implementation of the Convention in Papua New Guinea.

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507. At its 1806th meeting (seventieth session), held on 2 March 2007, the Committee reviewed the implementation of the Convention in Ethiopia and adopted concluding observations (see paragraphs 123 to 158 above). In a letter dated 9 March 2007, the Chairperson of the Committee drew the attention of the Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to the United Nations at Geneva to the concluding observations and requested information no later than 1 July 2007 on some priority issues raised in the concluding observations. In addition, the Committee invited a delegation of the State party to be present at its seventy-first session with a view to holding a preliminary dialogue and requested the submission of the overdue reports no later than 31 December 2007. The Chairperson also stressed that following consideration of the written information requested and the oral dialogue with the State party delegation, the Committee would decide at its seventy-first session on any further action needed under one of the procedures at its disposal, including its early warning and urgent action procedure.

508. At its 1837th meeting held on 13 August 2007 (seventy-first session), the Committee held a dialogue with the Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to the United Nations at Geneva in a closed meeting. On the basis of this exchange, the Committee requested the Chairperson to send a letter to the Government of Ethiopia, welcoming the openness to dialogue demonstrated during that meeting as well as the commitment of the State party to submit its overdue report before the end of February 2008. The Committee further indicated that it had taken note of the information provided by the State party while remaining concerned, however, about the serious tensions between different ethnic groups and allegations of human rights violations. In order to clarify those concerns, the Committee requested the State party to provide, no later than 31 December 2007, additional detailed information on the preventive measures adopted against racially motivated violence, on the concrete actions taken to combat racial prejudice and intolerance between ethnic groups as well as on the measures to ensure the right to security for members of all ethnic groups. In accordance with article 9 (1) of the Convention and article 65 of its rules of procedure, the Committee informed the State party that upon receipt and consideration of such information, it would decide at its seventy-second session, to be held from 18 February to 7 March 2008, on any further action to be taken under its early warning and urgent action procedure.

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CERD, A/63/18 (2008)

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Chapter II

PREVENTION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, INCLUDING EARLY WARNING AND URGENT ACTION PROCEDURES

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19. During the reporting period, the Committee again considered a number of situations under its early warning and urgent action procedure, including in particular the following:

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24. Following the receipt of a communication dated 24 January 2008 from the Government of Ethiopia, the Committee, in a letter dated 7 March 2008, welcomed the Government’s openness to dialogue, but expressed continuing concern at the existence of serious tensions between different ethnic groups and grave allegations of human rights violations against certain ethnic groups. The Committee also reminded Ethiopia of its commitment to submitting its overdue reports, and asked that information on measures taken to combat racially motivated violence, racial prejudice and intolerance between ethnic groups be included in the report.

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