RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Special Decisions or Action Taken Re: Reporting

CCPR A/49/40 (1994)

Annex VII

Letter from the Chairman of the Committee concerning an overdue report

Letter dated 5 November 1993 from the Chairman of the Committee to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, whose fourth periodic report was overdue

On behalf of the Human Rights Committee, 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 the Russian Federation's fourth periodic report was 4 November 1993. Unfortunately, that report has not yet been received.

The submission of such reports is indispensable for continuing the Committee's positive dialogue with the States parties in the field of human rights. The non-submission of the Russian Federation's fourth 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 the Russian Federation, it is my most earnest hope that its fourth periodic report will be submitted in the near future.

(Signed)         Nisuke Ando

                        Chairman

                        Human Rights Committee

CCPR A/58/40 vol. I (2003)

CHAPTER III. SUBMISSION OF REPORTS BY STATES PARTIES UNDER ARTICLE 40 OF THE COVENANT

B. Overdue reports and non-compliance by States parties with their obligations under article 40

73. The Committee noted that in the period under review, two States parties (Israel and the Russian Federation) informed the Committee that their delegations were unable to appear before the Committee as initially scheduled, owing to exceptional circumstances, and requested a postponement. The Committee regrets such withdrawal by States parties from the scheduled examination of a report, especially at a late stage; it is rarely possible for the Committee to schedule on short notice the examination of any other report. At its seventy-eighth session, therefore, the Committee decided that it would henceforth proceed with the examination of a report in the absence of a State party delegation if that State party informs the Committee at a late stage of its withdrawal, without providing justifications. The new procedure was notified to all States parties by circular letter of 14 July 2003.