I. Introduction
1.
Since the adoption of its resolution 37/44 on 3 December 1982, the
General Assembly has continuously kept under review the issue of
the effective implementation of international instruments on human
rights, including reporting obligations under international
instruments. Those matters have also received careful attention
during the various sessions of human rights treaty bodies, at some
of the meetings of States parties and at meetings of other organs
such as the Economic and Social Council and the Commission on Human
Rights.
2. The
meetings of the chairpersons were convened by the Secretary-General
biennially from 1988 until 1994 and, in accordance with General
Assembly resolution 49/178 of 23 December 1994, annually since
1995. In its resolution 55/90, the Assembly welcomed the reports of
the chairpersons of the human rights treaty bodies on their
eleventh and twelfth meetings, held at Geneva from 31 May to 4 June
1999 and from 5 to 8 June 2000, respectively (A/54/805, annex;
and A/55/206, annex) and took note of their conclusions and
recommendations. The General Assembly encouraged enhanced
cooperation and coordination between the treaty bodies, encouraging
each treaty body to give careful consideration to the relevant
conclusions and recommendations contained in the reports. The
Assembly also welcomed the initiative of the chairpersons of
inviting representatives of Member States to participate in a
dialogue and encouraged continuation of this practice. The General
Assembly decided to continue to give priority consideration at its
fifty-seventh session to the conclusions and recommendations of the
meetings of persons chairing the human rights treaty bodies, in the
light of the deliberations of the Commission on Human Rights, under
the item entitled "Human rights questions".
3. The
thirteenth meeting of chairpersons of the human rights treaty
bodies was convened by the Secretary-General pursuant to General
Assembly resolutions 49/178 and 55/90 of 4 December 2000. The
report of that meeting is contained herein.
II. Organization of the meeting
4. The
meeting was held at the United Nations Office at Geneva from 18 to
22 June 2001. The following chairpersons of human rights treaty
bodies attended: Charlotte Abaka (Chairperson of the Committee on
the Elimination of Discrimination against Women), Prafullachandra
N. Bhagwati (Chairperson of the Human Rights Committee), Virginia
Bonoan-Dandan (Chairperson of the Committee on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights), Peter T. Burns (Chairperson of the Committee
against Torture), Michael E. Sherifis (Chairperson of the Committee
on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination), Jakob Egbert Doek
(Chairperson of the Committee on the Rights of the Child). Mr.
Sherifis was elected Chairperson/Rapporteur of the meeting and Ms.
Abaka was elected Vice-Chairperson. At their opening meeting, the
chairpersons adopted the agenda, with modifications, and the
programme of work. The agenda, as adopted, is contained in annex I
to the present report. The list of documents made available to the
meeting is contained in annex II.
5. On
behalf of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,
the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights addressed the
chairpersons on 18 June 2001. The High Commissioner addressed the
chairpersons on 22 June 2001.
6. The
meeting was also addressed by the Assistant Director-General for
Social and Human Sciences of the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
7. On
18 June, the chairpersons held a meeting with the Special Adviser
to the High Commissioner for Human Rights on corporate social
responsibility.
8. On
19 June, the chairpersons held a meeting with the Expanded Bureau
of the Commission on Human Rights. A meeting was also held with
Antoanella Iulia Motoc, the Chairperson of the Subcommission on the
Promotion and Protection of Human Rights at its fifty-second
session.
9. On
20 June, the chairpersons convened a meeting with the
representatives of 61 States parties to discuss views on the
functioning of the human rights treaty bodies.
10. On the
afternoon of 21 June, the chairpersons held a joint meeting with
the participants at the eighth meeting of special rapporteurs and
representatives, experts and chairpersons of working groups of the
special procedures system of the Commission on Human Rights and of
the advisory services programme. The joint meeting was opened by
the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights and also included an
exchange with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights.
11. During the
week, the chairpersons were briefed by the Secretariat on the
preparations for the World Conference Against Racism, Racial
Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance and on the
status of the Plans of Action to strengthen implementation of the
human rights treaties serviced by the Office of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). They also met with
Secretariat officials from the Information Service, the Travel Unit
of the United Nations Office at Geneva and OHCHR
Administration.
12. On 22 June,
the chairpersons considered the draft report on their thirteenth
meeting. The report, as amended, was adopted unanimously.
13. The
chairpersons tentatively agreed to hold their fourteenth meeting
from 24 to 28 June 2002.
III. Address by the Deputy High Commissioner for
Human Rights
14. The Deputy
High Commissioner for Human Rights addressed the chairpersons on
the opening day of the meeting and delivered a statement on behalf
of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. The
Deputy High Commissioner, inter alia, stressed the important role
of the treaty bodies in the activities of the United Nations and
the Office of the High Commissioner in the field of human rights
and highlighted the importance of the meeting of chairpersons. He
noted the success of the Millennium Summit held in September 2000
in attracting a remarkable number of human rights treaty actions.
The Deputy High Commissioner drew attention to the increasing
workload faced by treaty bodies as a result of the welcome progress
towards the universal ratification of human rights treaties.
15. Referring to
the lack of adequate resources for the treaty bodies, the Deputy
High Commissioner stressed, on behalf of the High Commissioner,
that this was a constraint shared by both the Secretariat and the
treaty bodies. He noted that the increase in the regular budget for
human rights activities had been clearly insufficient, and that
efforts to achieve further increases had been supported by the
Secretary-General himself. He assured the chairpersons that the
provision of adequate support to the treaty bodies continued to be
a high priority for the High Commissioner and welcomed the
assistance of donors. The Deputy High Commissioner also indicated
that efforts would continue to consider suggestions on how to
increase also the efficiency and effectiveness of the system.
16. The Deputy
High Commissioner also commended the substantive contributions by
the treaty bodies to the preparatory process for the World
Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and
Related Intolerance and expressed the hope that the treaty bodies
would continue to play an active role in the next session of the
Preparatory Committee, as well as in the World Conference
itself.
17. The
Chairperson raised with the Deputy High Commissioner the issue of a
study recently concluded by Anne Bayefsky, entitled "The United
Nations human rights treaty system: universality at the
crossroads". The Chairperson requested a definite statement as to
whether the Office of the High Commissioner associated itself with
the conclusions and recommendations contained in the study. The
Deputy High Commissioner indicated that the High Commissioner
wished to encourage independent reflection on the functioning of
the treaty bodies. While the Office of the High Commissioner had
cooperated in the preparation of the study by providing information
to the author, the conclusions of the study were the responsibility
of its author alone. The Chairperson of the Committee on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights nevertheless found it alarming that many
observers were apparently under the impression that the report was,
at least in part, a product of the Office of the High Commissioner
and suggested that the Office take urgent measures to correct such
misconceptions. The other chairpersons agreed, and the Deputy High
Commissioner took note of this suggestion.
IV. Review of recent developments relating to
the work of the
treaty bodies
18. The
chairpersons briefed the meeting on recent developments in the work
of their respective treaty bodies. The Committee on the Elimination
of Discrimination against Women had examined 15 reports from States
parties at its twenty-third and twenty-fourth sessions in June 2000
and January 2001, respectively. More than half of them were
combined reports, in accordance with decision 23/II of the
Committee, in which the Committee decided, on an exceptional basis
and as a temporary measure, in order to address the backlog of
reports awaiting consideration, to allow States parties with
overdue reports to combine them in a single document. The Committee
had adopted rules of procedure for the Optional Protocol to the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women, which had entered into force on 22 December 2000.
The first meeting of the five-member working group on the Optional
Protocol would be held in February 2002, immediately following the
twenty-sixth session of the Committee. The Committee had also
started work on a general recommendation on article 4.1 of the
Convention, on temporary special measures aimed at accelerating the
de facto equality between men and women. Most Committee members
attended, from 5 to 10 June 2000, the special session of the
General Assembly entitled "Women 2000: gender equality, development
and peace for the twenty-first century" (Beijing+5). At its
twenty-fourth session, the Committee adopted a statement on gender
and racial discrimination to be forwarded to the second session of
the Preparatory Committee for the World Conference against Racism,
Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance.
19. The Human
Rights Committee had taken several measures to improve the efficacy
of its working methods and coordination of activities with other
human rights mechanisms. On 31 October 2000, the Committee had held
its first consultation with States parties, which had been attended
by more than 50 representatives. The Committee had also held a
special commemorative event to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of
the entry into force of the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights. The Human Rights Committee appreciated the
services of the additional staff that had been employed through the
Plan of Action, who were assisting it to reduce the backlog of
communications. In October 2000 and March 2001, the Committee had
adopted amendments to its rules of procedure that enabled it to
examine the situation of civil and political rights in States the
reports of which were many years overdue, if necessary, in the
absence of a State party delegation. The new rules would also
enable the Committee to examine reports submitted by States that
failed to appear before it on two or more successive occasions. A
mechanism, which may require further Secretariat resources, had
also been established to improve follow-up of the concluding
observations (as detailed in the revised rules of procedure of the
Committee, contained in document CCPR/C/3/Rev.6 and Corr.1). The
Committee now drew routinely upon the work of the special
procedures mechanisms of the Commission on Human Rights.
20. The Committee
on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights estimated that its two
extraordinary sessions, one held in August 2000 and the other to be
held in August 2001, would reduce the average delay in the
examination of reports after submission from 30 to 36 months before
2000, to 12 to 18 months by December 2001. The Committee could have
examined 17 reports over the past year but had only been able to
examine 14, owing to State party requests for postponement of the
scheduled examination of their reports. The situation of economic,
social and cultural rights in two States parties had been examined
in the absence of a report, and action was being taken on the
situation in two other States parties under the follow-up
procedure. The Committee was examining its methods of work,
particularly to add flexibility in the periodicity of the
submission of reports based on established and objective criteria
and to shorten the meeting time needed for the examination of
reports to three meetings for initial reports and two meetings for
periodic reports, which would allow for the consideration of six,
rather than five, reports per session. The Committee was examining
its reporting guidelines with a view to updating or revising them,
based on contemporary issues and specificities relating to periodic
reports. In November 2000, it had held a day of general discussion
on intellectual property and human rights, with the collaboration
of the World Intellectual Property Organization, which would
contribute to the drafting of a general comment on article 15 (1)
(c) of the Covenant. A general comment was also being drafted on
article 3 (equal rights of men and women) and another on article 15
(1) (a) (the right to take part in cultural life). In May 2001, a
consultation had been organized with United Nations bodies and
agencies and other international organizations working in the field
of trade and development, with the participation of national human
rights institutions and non-governmental organizations. This
initiative had been undertaken in collaboration with the High
Council for International Cooperation of France. In addition, the
Committee had adopted a statement on poverty, which had been
submitted to the Third United Nations Conference on the Least
Developed Countries, and another to the special session of the
General Assembly on human settlements (Istanbul+5).
21. The workload
of the Committee against Torture had stabilized, and 14 reports and
22 communications had been examined at its last two sessions. The
Committee had been conducting four inquiries under the procedure
established in article 20 of the Convention. The Committee had
completed one inquiry and expected to conclude another by November
2001, while a third inquiry would commence in the current year. It
was noted that the procedure was resource-intensive, which made it
difficult for the Committee to undertake more than one inquiry per
year. The Committee had been discussing proposals for improvement
of its working methods, including suggestions formulated by one
State party. It had established working groups to discuss the
drafting of general comments on the definition of torture,
follow-up to individual communications and overall procedures. The
Committee had also adopted a joint declaration, on the occasion of
the commemoration of the International Day in Support of Victims of
Torture, with the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human
Rights on the question of torture, the Voluntary Fund for the
Victims of Torture and the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The
Committee appreciated the additional support provided through the
Plan of Action which had increased its efficiency, particularly in
dealing with individual communications. However, the Committee
found it difficult to examine many of the issues placed before it
by the Secretariat, given its workload with regard to reports,
individual communications and inquiries.
22. The Committee
on the Rights of the Child had examined 26 reports during its last
three sessions, in line with its recent efforts to increase the
number of reports examined to 9 per session. It had held a day of
general discussion on the theme of State violence against children
in September 2000, which would be completed by a discussion of
violence against children within the family and in schools to be
held in September 2001. At its twenty-sixth session, in January
2001, the Committee had adopted its first general comment, on
article 29 (1) of the Convention (the aims of education), which it
had submitted as a contribution to the World Conference against
Racism. The general comment had been drafted with the assistance of
a consultant and a first draft had been reviewed by the Committee
and revised at a meeting organized by a non-governmental
organization, with the participation of the Rapporteur of the
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and
representatives of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and
UNESCO. Four new members had joined the Committee at its last
session and a one-day technical briefing had been held for them
prior to the session, with the support of the Plan of Action. The
Committee had also participated in the three sessions of the
Preparatory Committee for the special session of the General
Assembly on children, submitted comments on the first and second
revised drafts of the outcome document and adopted a statement that
had been delivered at the third session of the Preparatory
Committee. The Committee had held meetings at its last session with
the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on
adequate housing, as a component of the right to an adequate
standard of living, and with the Special Rapporteur of the
Commission on Human Rights on the right to food. It had adopted a
statement to the special session of the General Assembly on human
settlements. The Committee favoured close coordination with the
work of other treaty bodies and had adopted the practice of
analysing and referring to their concluding observations on
relevant issues in its own concluding observations, so as to ensure
that States parties would not face conflicting views and
recommendations from different treaty bodies on the same human
rights issues. The Committee was considering the drafting of
general comments on several topics over the next two years,
including the role of national human rights institutions and
ombudspersons for children in the implementation of the Convention.
A working group had been set up to review the working methods of
the Committee to make its recommendations more focused. One member
had been mandated to prepare a working paper on reporting
periodicity and the guidelines on the preparation of periodic
reports would be reviewed with the aim of alleviating the reporting
burden faced by States parties, and to take account of the role
that the special session of the General Assembly on children might
entrust to the Committee in respect of monitoring the
implementation of national plans of action. The Committee was also
drafting reporting guidelines for the two Optional Protocols to the
Convention. The amendment to article 43 (2) adopted in 1995 to
enlarge membership of the Committee from 10 to 18 still required
another 26 acceptances to enter into force. This was an urgent
matter for the Committee, given its heavy workload and backlog of
approximately 50 reports, the examination of which faced delays of
approximately two years.
23. The Committee
on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, had seen the
resignation of an unprecedented four members, particularly because
of health and family reasons, during a five-month period. By the
time of the last session in March 2001, only two States parties had
been able to nominate new members to replace their nationals who
had resigned, while a third State had subsequently submitted its
nomination. The Committee had examined 23 reports during its last
two sessions and had reviewed the situation in several States under
its special review procedure. Adopted in 1991, the procedure called
for the examination of the situation in a State party whose report
was more than five years overdue. The Committee had found that many
States parties made an additional effort to submit a report or to
provide the Committee with reassurance of its impending
presentation when notified of the scheduling of the examination of
the situation under the special review procedure. Few individual
communications had been received under the procedure established by
article 14 of the Convention. Only 33 States parties, a noticeably
low proportion of the parties to the Convention, had made the
optional declaration accepting the procedure. In August 2000, the
Committee had held its first ever thematic discussion, namely, on
discrimination faced by the Roma. The Chairperson and two members
of the Subcommission for the Promotion and Protection of Human
Rights, the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on
contemporary forms of racism and a number of non-governmental
organizations had participated in the discussion, which had
resulted in the Committee adopting a comprehensive general
recommendation on the discrimination faced by the Roma. The
Committee had an informal understanding that allowed it to suggest
to States whose reports are due within two years of the examination
of a report by the Committee the joint submission of that report
with the one due immediately thereafter. The Committee had reviewed
its current practice of adopting concluding observations in public
meetings and had decided to maintain the practice in order to
maximize the transparency of its debates, subject to immediate
transmission to States parties of the concluding observations as
adopted. The Committee had experienced some difficulties with
regard to the reliability of the information on the conduct of its
business that was provided in the press releases prepared by the
United Nations Department of Public Information. The Committee had
also discussed criticism by some States parties of the use made of
information provided by non-governmental organizations.
24. In reviewing
recent developments within the treaty bodies, the chairpersons drew
attention to two issues that would merit further discussion in
their review of working methods, including the method of adoption
(and release) of concluding observations and the use of information
provided by non-governmental organizations or other sources. Some
chairpersons expressed concern about the unbalanced geographical
representation in their committees, and also about the need for
States parties to consider the desirability of achieving an
appropriate gender balance in all treaty bodies when nominating and
electing members.
25. On 18 June
2001, the chairpersons held a meeting with Mr. Andrew Clapham, the
Special Adviser on corporate responsibility for human rights. Mr.
Clapham discussed with the chairpersons the relevance of the issue
of corporate responsibility for human rights violations to the work
of treaty bodies. He mentioned developments in international law
that suggest that States could be held to have positive obligations
to protect individuals from violation of their rights by others. He
also discussed with the chairpersons how growing interest in
ethical investment could provide powerful incentives for
corporations to respect human rights. Mr. Clapham referred to the
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on
the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.
Article 3 of that instrument required States parties to cover under
its criminal law offences committed, not only by individuals, but
also by legal persons.
26. On 19 June
2001, the chairpersons held a meeting with the Expanded Bureau of
Commission on Human Rights, looking in particular at ways by which
cooperation may be further enhanced between the Commission on Human
Rights and the treaty bodies. The issues on the common agenda
included: status of the human rights treaty bodies and their
participation in the Commission; follow-up to resolutions and
decisions adopted by the Commission which refer to the treaty
bodies and other matters. The Chairperson of the meeting of persons
chairing the treaty bodies and Mr. Leandro Despouy, Chairperson of
the Commission on Human Rights, opened the meeting. Mr. Imtiaz
Hussain, Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights made a
statement on behalf of the Bureau, in which he underscored the
special importance accorded by the Commission to its relationship
with the treaty bodies. He said that the Commission considered the
treaty bodies to be important partners in the implementation of
human rights standards and that the Commission had traditionally
invited chairpersons of treaty bodies to attend Commission sessions
whenever such a request was received.
27. The exchange
of views indicated that both the Expanded Bureau of the Commission
on Human Rights and the chairpersons of treaty bodies were keen on
attaining greater cooperation and on finding ways by which this may
be established. The chairpersons of treaty bodies indicated that
they had not been aware that the Commission traditionally extended
invitations for them to attend Commission sessions. The chairs
expressed their wish to participate in the proceedings of the
Commission on Human Rights relevant to their respective mandates
and recommended that funds be made available to that end.
28. The
Chairperson of the meeting informed the Expanded Bureau that the
chairpersons of treaty bodies had decided that they would be
enabled to present their reports in person to the United Nations
organs to which their reports were submitted, and that funds should
be made available for that purpose. The Expanded Bureau members
supported this position. The need for equitable geographical
distribution in the membership of the treaty bodies as well as for
gender balance was emphasized by the chairpersons. They also
highlighted efforts made by the treaty bodies to enhance
cooperation with United Nations organs, as welcomed by the
Commission. The chairpersons expressed appreciation for the work of
the Commission on the drafting of new human rights instruments and
referred also to the need to support continuing progress towards
universal ratification of human rights treaties and to promote the
entry into force of amendments to the treaties adopted by the
meetings of States parties and the General Assembly.
29. The Expanded
Bureau of the Commission suggested that the effectiveness of
relations between the Commission and the treaty bodies could be
enhanced if treaty bodies held sessions during or around the
regular session of the Commission on Human Rights, as that would
broaden participation without any budgetary implications. The
chairpersons regretted that the burden that would be imposed on
United Nations conference services and Secretariat support would
limit such possibilities. The Chairperson of the Commission on
Human Rights invited the chairpersons of treaty bodies to prepare a
list of proposals or suggestions on ways to clarify or improve
their status in the United Nations system and pledged to convey the
key points underscored by the discussion in his message to the
fifty-eighth session of the Commission. He suggested that, in the
future, some of the ideas put forward by the treaty bodies could be
included in the resolutions of the Commission.
30. The
chairpersons also held an exchange with Antoanella Iulia Motoc,
Chairperson of the Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of
Human Rights at its fifty-second session, as well as with David
Weissbrodt, a member of the Subcommission. Ms. Motoc referred to a
number of studies being undertaken by the Subcommission on matters
of direct relevance to the treaty bodies, including on traditional
practices, affirmative action, the impact of globalization and the
elimination of racial discrimination. Reference was made to the
possibilities afforded by the availability of the Subcommission to
conduct research and studies on conceptual and thematic human
rights issues. Ms. Motoc also called for the treaty bodies and the
Subcommission to explore imaginative solutions that could allow
increased collaboration without budgetary implications. Mr.
Weissbrodt referred to the invitation addressed by an earlier
meeting of chairpersons to each treaty body inviting them to
consider themes on which the Subcommission could consider
conducting studies. The Committee on the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination had drawn attention to several themes, now being
studied by the Subcommission. The Committee on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights had recently drawn attention to several themes that
would be of direct relevance to its own preoccupations. Mr.
Weissbrodt suggested that a similar request addressed by the
chairpersons to all treaty bodies may favour increased
collaboration and coordination of efforts between the Subcommission
and treaty bodies.
V. Cooperation of human rights treaty
bodies with specialized agencies, United Nations departments,
funds, programmes and mechanisms and non-governmental
organizations
31. Pierre
Sané, Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences
of UNESCO addressed the meeting of chairpersons on 19 June 2001. He
reminded them that the constitution of UNESCO mandated it to seek
to further universal respect for justice, the rule of law and for
human rights and fundamental freedoms without distinction of race,
sex, language or religion. Mr. Sané referred to the programme
of reform undertaken by the organization for the past two years and
its attention to the challenges posed by rapid globalization. He
reaffirmed the central importance of the right to education, as
well as many other human rights for the work of UNESCO. Mr.
Sané highlighted three areas in which the work of UNESCO could
contribute to the achievement of the goals that it shared with the
human rights treaty bodies: the dissemination of information on the
concluding observations adopted by treaty bodies through its human
rights education activities at national level; the contribution
that can be made by the organization's research, action, training,
capacity-building and normative development activities to areas
covered by the treaty bodies; and its ability to reach a large
number of relevant bodies and organization through its partnership
arrangements. Mr. Sané singled out the need to ensure respect
for human rights in the field of bioethics. The chairpersons
expressed their appreciation for the work of UNESCO and its
involvement in the work of their Committees.
32. On the
afternoon of 19 June 2001, representatives of United Nations
departments and agencies and other intergovernmental organizations
and non-governmental organizations held a discussion with the
chairpersons about the extent to which their activities could
assist States parties in the implementation of recommendations
issued by the treaty bodies. A full list of participants is
contained in annex II to the present report.
33. Considerable
progress was discernible with respect to the extent to which human
rights, including cooperation with treaty bodies, was being
integrated into the activities of United Nations organizations. The
chairpersons welcomed this trend and called for all the
organizations represented to assist the treaty bodies in assessing
the usefulness of their concluding observations in guiding efforts
to improve the implementation of the human rights treaties.
34. A
representative of OHCHR provided information about the activities
of the technical cooperation programme of the Office. He pointed
out that the concluding observations of the treaty bodies were
always analysed as part of the needs assessment that followed upon
the formulation of a request by States of technical assistance from
OHCHR. Areas traditionally covered by technical cooperation
programme activities included many of particular interest to the
treaty bodies, such as review of legislation, training for law
enforcement officers, legal professionals and teachers, human
rights education and the formulation and implementation of national
human rights plans of action. Another representative of OHCHR
described the work of the Office to support the establishment and
strengthening of national human rights institutions. He called
attention to the essential role that well-resourced, independent
and pluralistic national human rights institutions with a broad
mandate could play in monitoring the implementation of human rights
treaties at national level. He also drew attention to the
complementary role that could be played by institutions such as
ombudspersons for children or national commissions for women. There
was great scope for increased cooperation between treaty bodies and
national institutions, and OHCHR activities with institutions
established by more than 50 States have already involved active
participation by treaty body members. Another representative of
OHCHR provided brief information on the possibilities afforded to
ensure that the work of treaty bodies was taken into account at the
national level by United Nations country teams, primarily through
the preparation of common country assessments and United Nations
Development Assistance Frameworks. Such tools improved
understanding of the relevance of human rights to the development
activities of the United Nations system and provided practical
channels for the implementation of human rights programming.
35. The
representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
briefed the chairpersons on the memorandum of understanding signed
by the organization and OHCHR, which focused on the provision of
assistance to States for the implementation of their human rights
obligations. She highlighted areas in which UNDP activities were of
particular interest to the work of treaty bodies: playing a
catalytic role to facilitate the involvement of relevant parties in
the preparation of reports; assisting States with the dissemination
of the concluding observations, through press conferences or
otherwise. In addition, the representative referred to the
assistance available through the joint UNDP/OHCHR "HURIST" (human
rights strengthening) programme, under one of its five "windows"
for ratification of the treaties. She also pointed out that civil
and political rights were also now included in the activities
carried out in the area of governance by almost half of all UNDP
country offices. While emphasizing the usefulness of concluding
observations for field offices, she highlighted the importance of
treaty bodies having a better understanding of United Nations
agencies, that is to say, their operational nature, their
capacities, their limitations and obstacles faced in dealing with
Government counterparts.
36. The
representative of the Council of Europe drew attention to the
important role played by the Committee of Ministers in monitoring
the execution of the judgements of the European Court of Human
Rights. He suggested that the Committee of Ministers had rarely
found it necessary to go beyond its routine monitoring procedures
or to resort to political and diplomatic measures to ensure the
execution of the judgements of the Court by States parties to the
European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and
Fundamental Freedoms.
37. The
representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) welcomed the
focus of the discussion on the impact of the work of treaty bodies
at the national level. A review was currently under way of WHO
interaction with human rights treaty bodies, with a view to
strengthening it through increased involvement of programme and
country offices. Information was provided on training activities
conducted by WHO for its staff, in particular on the Convention on
the Rights of the Child and the reporting process of the Committee
on the Rights of the Child.
38. The
representative of UNICEF described the extensive involvement of the
organization in the work of the Committee on the Rights of the
Child, as well as with the Committee on the Elimination of
Discrimination against Women. UNICEF experience suggested that the
most effective way to promote active involvement of country offices
in providing assistance to States to follow up on the
recommendations adopted by treaty bodies was to ensure the
involvement of the country offices in the entire process, including
advocacy for the preparation of reports, encouraging the
involvement of civil society and participation in the meetings of
the pre-sessional working group of the Committees. A specific
example was presented by a representative of the UNICEF country
office in Kyrgyzstan, who discussed how that country office was
providing assistance to the State to follow up on the
recommendations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child.
39. The
representative of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
(UNAIDS) provided information on the organization's review of the
work of treaty bodies with regard to the human rights dimension of
the HIV/AIDS epidemic. She noted that the concluding observations
of the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Committee on
the Elimination of Discrimination against Women were the only ones
to include detailed recommendations in that area and urged the
other treaty bodies to give greater attention to the many human
rights violations to which persons infected, affected, or
vulnerable in the context of the pandemic were subjected. She
referred to the memorandum of understanding signed by UNAIDS and
OHCHR, according to which one UNAIDS staff member situated in OHCHR
could provide information on HIV/AIDS with regard to the reports
examined by treaty bodies. The representative also pointed out
that, as the concluding observations of treaty bodies were often
transmitted only or primarily to Ministries of Foreign Affairs,
other ministries more directly involved in relevant issues might
not be aware of the recommendations adopted by treaty bodies.
40. The
representative of the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) made clear that UNHCR addressed
one specific issue, namely the situation of refugees, and its
mandate to protect them was the focus of all its activities. While
UNHCR followed the work of the treaty bodies, there were special
difficulties in bringing to them the concerns of refugees,
including the general reluctance of refugees to come forward to
share their experiences and the tendency of many Governments not to
include refugees among "their people" on whom they feel obliged to
report. UNHCR did not transmit the concluding observations adopted
by treaty bodies to its country offices.
41. According to
the representative of the International Labour Organization (ILO),
ILO country offices were alerted of the schedule of examination of
reports by treaty bodies and were urged to pay attention to the
process, as part of an effort to extend the cooperation of the
organization with the treaty bodies beyond the references already
being made by the Committee on Standards to State party reports and
to treaty body concluding observations.
42. The
representative of the United Nations Population Fund referred to
meetings involving members from all treaty bodies, including one
held in Glen Cove, New York in 1996, on the human rights dimensions
of reproductive and sexual health. Efforts were being made to
improve mainstreaming of human rights into the activities of the
organization. Having gained experience with the Committee on the
Elimination of Discrimination against Women and the Committee on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Fund considered the time
ripe for its country offices to widen their involvement in the
reporting process and, in particular, to take into account the
relevant concluding observations of treaty bodies in their
operational activities.
43. According to
the representative of the World Bank, that organization was making
efforts to dispel the impression that it dictated to States the
measures they must take; its role was rather to provide assistance
for the design and implementation of policies that are "owned" by
States. There were difficulties in taking account of the work of
treaty bodies, as the national counterparts of the World Bank were
mainly government departments dealing with finance and economics,
while the treaty bodies often interacted with other government
departments. The representative suggested that treaty bodies should
be more attentive to the choices and compromises that were required
in the formulation of economic policies and to the impact of
globalization and market forces, which neither States nor the World
Bank could control, and drew attention to the contradictions that
could arise between the recommendations of treaty bodies and the
decisions of the Economic and Social Council or the General
Assembly.
44. The
representative of the NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of
the Child reported to the chairpersons on information received
regarding the use made of treaty body concluding observations by
its Liaison Unit, which facilitates the interaction between
national and international non-governmental organizations and the
Committee on the Rights of the Child. The Liaison Unit received
information from national coalitions and non-governmental
organizations in 17 countries, representing almost all regions. The
non-governmental organizations reported on their impression of the
awareness of the content of the concluding observations among
different relevant government departments, on the use that
non-governmental organizations make of concluding observations in
their own work at the national level, on specific recommendations
that they felt States were taking action on (with those referring
to review of legislation being the ones mentioned most often) and
on the involvement of other State institutions in the
implementation of treaty body recommendations.
45. According to
the representative of the International Women's Rights Action Watch
(IWRAW), it was often easier to provide information to treaty
bodies than to ensure that information about the recommendations
adopted by treaty bodies was transmitted back to interested
non-governmental organizations. After a decade of experience in
working with the treaty bodies, IWRAW considered concluding
observations of the Committees to be of great value, particularly
when concerns and recommendations were formulated in a precise
fashion, and examples of concrete measures taken on the basis of
recommendations of treaty bodies were numerous. However, the
failure of many Governments to disseminate concluding observations,
the low level of public awareness of the reporting process in some
countries and the consequent lack of appreciation for the value of
treaty body recommendations, hindered more effective use of
concluding observations. The representative of IWRAW suggested that
States parties should be specifically questioned about government
efforts to disseminate the concluding observations from prior
reviews and plans to disseminate those emanating from the current
session, both in their lists of issues and in their guidelines for
preparing reports.
46. The
representative of the International Federation for Human Rights
explained his organization's involvement in facilitating access to
the treaty bodies by national non-governmental organizations. He
highlighted the important role of the latter in raising awareness
about the recommendations of treaty bodies, sometimes particularly
difficult in States where human rights problems were serious.
47. The
representative of Amnesty International outlined the organization's
involvement in the dissemination of the concluding observations
adopted by treaty bodies, including through the preparation of
press releases and occasionally public appeals to States calling
attention to the recommendations of treaty bodies. She suggested
that national non-governmental organizations should be more
involved in the work of treaty bodies and that the latter should
seek to enhance their cooperation with regional human rights
mechanisms.
48. The
representative of the Anti-Racism Information Service described
volunteer organization's work of disseminating immediate
information about the work of the Committee on the Elimination of
Racial Discrimination to a network of more than three thousand
subscribers.
VI. Informal consultation with Governments
49. On 20 June
2001, the chairpersons held a full-day informal meeting with
representatives of States, in which they exchanged views on topics
relating to the treaty bodies, including some of the difficulties
they face in their work. The chairpersons once again reminded
States of the importance of ratifying treaties, of submitting
instruments of acceptance of the proposed amendments to the various
treaties, and of ensuring the allocation of sufficient resources by
the Fifth Committee and through direct contributions to the annual
appeal of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights. The chairpersons also reiterated their appeal to
States parties to consider the need for gender and geographical
balance in the membership of the treaty bodies and to ensure
appropriate expertise given the subject-matter of the different
treaties.
50.
Representatives of 12 States intervened in the discussion, which
was attended by representatives of 59 States. Representatives
expressed their States' support and encouragement of the work of
the treaty bodies under their respective mandates, which they
considered to be central to the international human rights system
and, in particular, for the continued efforts of the treaty bodies
to rationalize their working methods to deal with their growing
workloads.
51. Particular
mention was made of the effectiveness of some practices, such as
procedures used by treaty bodies to address the periodicity of
reports and the problem of overdue reports in ways that can
contribute to alleviating the difficulties experienced by many
States in fulfilling their reporting obligations in spite of its
value as a learning experience that assists States in making
progress in the implementation of human rights treaties.
Suggestions and recommendations were offered with regard to the
process of improvement of the working methods of treaty bodies,
particularly with regard to the need to ensure consistency of
normative interpretation. Representatives of several States renewed
the expression of interest formulated during the meeting held one
year earlier in learning whether the Committees had come any closer
in harmonizing their working practices.
52.
Representatives of several States expressed their support for the
role of non-governmental organizations in providing additional
information to treaty bodies. Several interventions suggested that
it might be appropriate for the treaty bodies to ensure that such
information is received in sufficient time to enable treaty body
members to review it. Information found to be useful and credible
should be fully reflected in questions by treaty bodies which, as
far as possible, should be sent to State delegations in sufficient
time for them to be able to prepare for a productive dialogue with
the Committee. Representatives of States welcomed the efforts of
many treaty bodies to reduce the number of questions posed to
States for the examination of reports both prior to and during the
dialogue, and encouraged efforts to ensure that concluding
observations address the specific circumstances of each State.
53. A number of
delegations also expressed interest in the precedent set by the
Human Rights Committee, which had held a meeting with States
parties to the Covenant during its October 2000 session, and about
plans of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to
hold a similar meeting during its forthcoming session in November
2001.
54. Delegations
expressed appreciation for the opportunity to have an informal
dialogue with the chairpersons and for the more focused and
substantive exchange made possible by the longer meeting. The
chairpersons agreed that a full day should be set aside for
informal consultation with States at its fourteenth meeting, with
an agenda prepared sufficiently in advance to enable all
participants to engage in a focused exchange on selected key
issues.
VII. Joint meeting with participants of the
eighth meeting of special rapporteurs and representatives, experts
and chairpersons of working groups of the special procedures system
of the Commission on Human Rights and of the advisory services
programme of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights
55. The third
joint meeting, held on 21 June 2001 between the chairpersons and
the special rapporteurs and representatives, experts and
chairpersons of working groups of the special procedures system of
the Commission on Human Rights and of the advisory services
programme, was welcomed.
56. The Deputy
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights addressed the
issue of resources, recalling that, despite some recent gains in
posts, the staffing situation continued to be difficult. There had
been a net loss of six posts for the human rights programme of the
United Nations between 1994 and 2001. In this regard, the High
Commissioner would be seeking from the next biennium the
establishment of a substantial number of additional posts. Equally
important, however, was the role of treaty bodies and special
procedures. Their continual efforts to improve and modernize their
own working methods were central to the effectiveness of the human
rights programme.
57. The United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights addressed, and exchanged
views with, the chairpersons and the mandate holders of special
procedures during the meeting. She expressed her appreciation for
the contributions made by all the treaty bodies and many of the
special procedures to the preparatory process for the World
Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and
Related Intolerance and encouraged all human rights mechanisms to
continue to contribute to a successful outcome of the
Conference.
58. Appreciation
was expressed for the efforts of the High Commissioner in
supporting improved collaboration between and among the treaty
bodies and the special procedures. The High Commissioner welcomed
the substantive discussion and useful suggestions made by
participants. She pointed out that a review conducted by her Office
on the outcome of the second joint meeting had concluded that
confidentiality concerns would not be a major barrier to the
exchange of information; that, as demonstrated by examples cited
during the meeting, some productive collaboration was already
taking place; that the challenges faced by the mechanisms, with her
full encouragement and support, was to encourage such cooperation
among all mechanisms; that resource constraints continued to be a
significant factor; and that the working methods of the different
mechanisms could facilitate or hinder collaboration.
59. The High
Commissioner and experts raised the need for adequate
administrative and substantive support for both the treaty bodies
and the special procedures. They also discussed the need for treaty
bodies and special procedures to contribute expertise to the
international financial institutions in their efforts to explore
the human rights issues that arose in their work.
60. Suggestions
made during the meeting to improve collaboration among treaty
bodies and special procedures included the following areas of
common concern:
(a) The continuing need to improve
the exchange of information between the treaty bodies and the
special procedures mandates. The implementation of recommendations
adopted after previous meetings in this respect was found
wanting;
(b) The need to systematize
collaboration and the exchange of information, rather than rely on
the valuable but ad hoc initiatives of some mechanisms, individual
experts or staff members;
(c) The possibility of increasing
opportunities for interaction among treaty bodies and special
procedures, as well as with the Subcommission on the Promotion and
Protection of Human Rights.
61. The
recommendations of the joint meeting are presented in paragraphs 86
to 89 below.
VIII. Status of the Plans of Action
A. Update on activities under the
Plans
of Action
62. The
chairpersons were briefed by the Secretariat on the status of the
three Plans of Action for the Geneva-based treaty bodies, which
have been incorporated into a global project, included in the
consolidated annual appeals of the High Commissioner to donors for
extrabudgetary contributions. The chairpersons expressed
satisfaction at the additional support provided through the Plans
of Action, with the chairpersons of the Committee against Torture
and the Human Rights Committee indicating the noticeable effect on
their activities of the increased support, and the chairpersons of
the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the
Committee on the Rights of the Child indicating that their current
workload could not be maintained without such additional support.
The chairpersons expressed concern about the lack of certainty
attached to the continuation of such support and the prospects for
additional support that would be required for some of the
additional enhancements to the effectiveness of their working
methods that were currently being discussed. The Secretariat
informed the chairpersons that the global project would be
continued through a three-year programme drawn up for the biennium
2002-2004 and that the High Commissioner was hopeful of continued
interest from donors in ensuring that the improved support to the
important work of treaty bodies that had been possible under the
plans.
B. Inter-Committee meeting on
common approaches
63. The
chairpersons revisited the idea of holding a meeting among members
of all treaty bodies to develop a common approach to specific
common issues. They noted the three ideas for such a meeting that
were proposed by the Secretariat in a background document of the
present meeting,1 namely on periodicity, human
trafficking and reservations to the treaties. The chairpersons
considered that the first such meeting should address questions
relating to the methods of work of the treaty bodies, rather than a
substantive theme, which could be taken up at a future such
inter-Committee meeting. They further stressed the need for strong
involvement by the Secretariat, including through the preparation
of background papers and direct participation in the meeting.
IX. World Conference against Racism, Racial
Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance
64. On 18 June
2001, Mr. Jyoti Singh, Executive Coordinator of the World
Conference, briefed the chairpersons about the status of
preparations for the World Conference. He reported on the progress
accomplished during the second session of the Preparatory Committee
for the World Conference, the continuing work of the Group of 21 on
the draft Declaration and Programme of Action, and the holding of
the third session of the Preparatory Committee in Geneva from 30
July to 10 August 2001. Mr. Singh briefed the chairpersons about
arrangements being made for travel and lodging of the two members
of each treaty body (and additional members of the Committee on the
Elimination of Racial Discrimination) that would be invited to
attend the Conference. Finally, he clarified that other members of
treaty bodies that planned to attend the World Conference through
sponsorship of or in association with other organizations would be
accredited as members of treaty bodies.
65. The
chairpersons updated each other on the contributions made by each
treaty body to the preparatory process for the World Conference
against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related
Intolerance. They asked for the rapid transmission of the latest
draft Declaration and Programme of Action to members of treaty
bodies, to allow them to transmit relevant statements to the third
session of the Preparatory Committee for the World Conference. The
chairpersons also urged Mr. Singh to ensure urgent completion of
all the necessary formalities to allow treaty body members to
finalize their arrangements for participation at the World
Conference.
66. The Committee
on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination had participated very
actively in preparations for the World Conference and would
continue to do so. The Committee had finalized its comprehensive
written contribution in January 2001, addressing the five main
themes of the World Conference. The Committee had also adopted
suggestions and comments on the Secretariat draft for the
Declaration and Programme of Action, discussed with the
coordinators of the five regional groups and with the Chairperson
of the Bureau of the Preparatory Committee for the World
Conference. The Committee had participated in the first and second
sessions of the Preparatory Committee. The Chairperson and five of
its members (one from each regional group) would participate in the
World Conference.
67. The Human
Rights Committee had submitted at the second session of the
Preparatory Committee its contribution to the World Conference and
had been represented at the two sessions of the Preparatory
Committee, as well as at two of the regional preparatory
conferences.
68. The Committee
on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights had submitted its general
comments Nos. 11 and 13, on the right to education, at the first
and second sessions of the Preparatory Committee and had formulated
suggestions on the draft Declaration and Programme of Action with
regard to the right to education and to poverty.
69. As its
contribution to the World Conference, the Committee on the Rights
of the Child had submitted its first general comment on the topic
of the aims of education (article 29 (1) of the Convention on the
Rights of the Child). The Committee had adopted a statement
containing comments for the draft Declaration and Plan of Action,
focusing on child rights and right to education issues.
70. The Committee
on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women had adopted a
statement submitted at the second session of the Preparatory
Committee. One of its members had participated in the Preparatory
Committee, and representatives would also participate in the World
Conference.
71. The Committee
against Torture had adopted a resolution for submission at the
second session of the Preparatory Committee. It would be
represented at the World Conference by two members.
72. The
chairpersons agreed that a common statement by the treaty bodies
should be made to the World Conference and entrusted the
chairperson of the meeting to make such a statement on their
behalf.
X. Other matters
73. The
chairpersons expressed deep dissatisfaction at the continuing
inequality of treatment of experts, whereby members of three treaty
bodies had received a token honorarium and others had received
none. They considered the system not only to be unfair to
individual experts, but also to contradict the principles of
indivisibility and interdependence of all human rights, which were
the foundations of the international human rights system. They
regretted that the Secretary-General had failed to respond to the
letter addressed to him in this regard by the Chairperson of the
twelfth meeting of chairpersons.
74. On 22 June
2001, the chairpersons were briefed, along with the special mandate
holders, by two staff members of the Travel Unit of the United
Nations Office at Geneva and by a member of the Administration Unit
of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the
rules, regulations and practices affecting the travel of experts
who are serviced by OHCHR. The chairpersons expressed deep
dissatisfaction about several instances of insistence by relevant
United Nations services on the use of a specific airline, which
might lead to the delayed arrival of experts at meetings or require
time-consuming efforts to resolve. The chairpersons decried the
practice of requiring experts to travel by airlines selected solely
on the basis of cost, since such airlines were often the least
comfortable and had no amenities for travellers on long flights,
which caused fatigue and ill-health for many days following
arrival.
75. The
chairpersons noted that the chairperson of the Committee on the
Elimination of Discrimination against Women traditionally attended
the relevant part of the sessions of the Commission on Human Rights
and of the Commission on the Status of Women. In addition, she had
made a statement to the Third Committee of the General Assembly
during its consideration of the agenda item on the advancement of
women, under which the report of the Committee on the Elimination
of Discrimination against Women had been submitted. The
chairpersons of the other five treaty bodies discussed the need to
ensure that chairpersons or their representatives could present in
person the reports of their treaty bodies to the relevant United
Nations organs that consider their reports. A unanimous decision
had been adopted in this respect.
76. The
chairpersons met with representatives of the Information Service of
the United Nations Office at Geneva. They discussed, inter alia,
concerns of the Geneva-based treaty bodies about: the quality of
press releases issued by the Department of Public Information; the
absence in press releases of attribution of remarks to individual
speakers; the tone of press releases; and the way in which
information about the work of the treaty bodies was disseminated to
the media, both in Geneva and at the national level, with respect
to those countries examined at sessions of the treaty bodies.
77. The Director
of the Information Service of the United Nations Office at Geneva
informed the chairpersons that many of the problems faced by her
unit were owing to a lack of human resources. Currently, only one
press officer commonly covered an entire session's morning and
afternoon meetings. The contents of press releases were reviewed
for tone and objectivity before being released. It was not
materially possible under such circumstances to provide more
detailed press releases. In addition, the tone of the press
releases reflected the actual proceedings that had been covered,
that is to say, they were as interesting or as critical as the
statements made during the proceedings. In that regard, it was
suggested that members of the treaty bodies themselves needed to
find ways of making treaty body information more interesting,
particularly to media personnel who attended press conferences. A
system had been set in place in recent years whereby the press
releases and concluding observations were automatically sent to the
United Nations information centres based in the regions and
countries that were the subject of those documents, and samples of
national press coverage of the concerned treaty body were
occasionally requested for informal assessments of their
impact.
78. It was agreed
that new and creative ways of ensuring accuracy and eliciting more
interest among the media could be found. It was pointed out that
the media environment in Geneva was conducive to having good human
rights coverage, as many journalists in Geneva specialized in that
area.
XI. Recommendations
79. The
chairpersons agreed that the agenda of their fourteenth meeting
should contain an item on follow-up to the recommendations of their
thirteenth meeting.
80. The
chairpersons recommended that the practice of holding an informal
meeting with representatives of States parties should be continued
at the fourteenth meeting. They requested the Office of the High
Commissioner to organize such a meeting, of one full day's
duration, and to consult with them and the States parties about a
possible agenda.
81. The
chairpersons strongly recommended that the Chairperson of the
current meeting should address a letter to the Secretary-General,
in follow-up to the one sent in 2000 by the previous Chairperson,
concerning the equal payment of honorariums to members of all
treaty bodies.
82. The
chairpersons adopted a unanimous decision that treaty body
chairpersons, or their designated members, would attend meetings of
the United Nations organs to which their reports were submitted at
the time that the reports were being considered. They requested the
Office of the High Commissioner to provide the funding to implement
that decision, if necessary, through the Plans of Action.
83. The
chairpersons agreed that the first inter-Committee meeting should
be held on the subject of methods of work and reservations to the
human rights treaties. Accordingly, they requested that the
Secretariat organize a meeting on that subject, either in Geneva or
in New York, not excluding other possibilities, and recommended
that each Committee should, as far as possible, be represented by
its chairperson and two other members. They further requested that
the Secretariat determine the dates and other details of the
meeting in close consultation with the chairpersons and prepare
background documents on the working methods of each treaty
body.
84. The
chairpersons agreed that a common statement by the treaty bodies
should be made to the World Conference. They entrusted the
Chairperson of the meeting to make such a statement on their behalf
in his capacity as the Chairperson of the meeting, drawing on their
contributions to the preparatory process of the Conference. A draft
statement should be circulated as soon as possible among all the
chairpersons for their approval.
85. The
chairpersons recommended that the treaty bodies should consider
ways of strengthening collaboration with the Subcommission for the
Promotion and Protection of Human Rights. In particular, they
recommended that the treaty bodies consider and propose to the
Subcommission possible topics for studies that could be undertaken
by the latter.
A. Recommendations of the joint meeting
with the special procedures system
86. The
Secretariat was requested to prepare, in writing, a concise
background note setting out the status of implementation of
recommendations emanating from the current joint meeting.
B. Improving collaboration and the
exchange of information between treaty bodies and the special
procedures mandates
87. Participants
at the joint meeting made many useful suggestions regarding the
need to systematize efforts to ensure collaboration and the
exchange of information and requested the Office of the High
Commissioner to make every effort to ensure their implementation
through systematic institutionalized mechanisms, particularly the
following:
(a) As recommended by the second
joint meeting, urgent efforts should be made to ensure the periodic
distribution, to all members of treaty bodies and special
procedures mandate holders of a list of planned country visits of
special procedures mandate holders and the schedule of the
consideration of reports of States parties to the major human
rights treaties;
(b) All treaty bodies and special
procedures mandate holders, as well as Subcommission rapporteurs,
should draw up a list of other mechanisms with which they are
working and of those with which they would like to work more
closely;
(c) Checklists should be drawn up for
each treaty body and special procedure of all the relevant
information from other human rights mechanisms that could be taken
into account by each treaty body and special procedure;
(d) Any documents drawn up to detail
collaboration arrangements among different mechanisms should be
circulated to all treaty bodies and special procedures mandate
holders;
(e) All non-confidential information
emanating from any of the treaty bodies and special procedures
should be automatically and systematically drawn to the attention
of all members of treaty bodies and special procedures mandate
holders. Use of a mechanism such as a "list-serv" for those experts
using e-mail could be explored in this regard;
(f) All non-confidential
information received by a treaty body for the examination of a
report should be available to staff working for special
procedures;
(g) Efforts should be made to
disseminate more widely the expertise accumulated in the
jurisprudence and other work of the treaty bodies and special
procedures mandate holders. An example would be the preparation of
a thematic compilation of the opinions of the Working Group on
Arbitrary Detention;
(h) Increased emphasis should be
placed on organizing meetings between special procedures mandate
holders and the treaty bodies. At a minimum, advantage may be taken
of the presence of special procedures mandate holders in Geneva
during a treaty body session.
C. Thematic discussion
88. The
participants agreed that the fourth joint meeting in June 2002
should be dedicated in part to a joint discussion on the role of
the human rights mechanisms in the follow-up to the World
Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and
Related Intolerance.
D. Fourth joint meeting
89. The
participants agreed to schedule a half-day joint meeting during
their respective annual meetings in 2001.
Notes
1
HRI/MC/2001/2.
Annex I
Agenda of the thirteenth meeting of chairpersons
(adopted on 18 June 2001)
1.
Opening of the meeting and election of officers.
2.
Adoption of the agenda.
3.
Organizational and other matters.
4.
Follow-up to the recommendations of the twelfth meeting.
5.
Review of recent developments relating to the work of the treaty
bodies.
6.
Status of the annual appeal 2001 of the Office of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and of the Plans of
Action:
(a) To strengthen the implementation
of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
Discrimination and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel,
Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment;
(b) To strengthen the implementation
of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights;
(c) To strengthen the implementation
of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
7.
National-level implementation of treaty body
recommendations.
8.
Strengthening support to and enhancing the effectiveness of the
treaty bodies.
9.
Informal consultations with States.
10. Joint
meeting with the eighth meeting of special
rapporteurs/representatives, experts and chairpersons of working
groups of the special procedures of the Commission on Human
Rights.
11. Adoption of
the report and setting of dates for the fourteenth meeting of
chairpersons.
Annex II
Participants in the thirteenth meeting of chairpersons
A. States parties
(meeting with States parties on 20 June 2001)
Algeria
Mr. Chems-Eddine Zelaci, Counsellor
Argentina
Ms. Norma Nascimbene de Dumont, Minister
Australia
Mr. Les Luck, Ambassador and Permanent Representative
Mr. Peter Hayward, Counsellor and Deputy Permanent
Representative
Ms. Libby Bunyan, Attorney-General's Department, Canberra
Ms. Amanda Gorely, Deputy of Foreign Affairs and Trade,
Canberra
Austria
Ms. Gabriela Kuehtreiber, Counsellor
Azerbaijan
Mr. Ismayil Asadov, Third Secretary
Bhutan
Ms. Pema Choden, First Secretary
Brazil
Mr. Frederico Meyer, Minister
Bulgaria
Mr. Dimiter Gantchev, Minister Plenipotentiary
Canada
Ms. Anna Kapellas, Third Secretary
Chile
Mr. Pedro Oyarce, Minister Counsellor
Mr. Luis Maurelia, Third Secretary
China
Mr. Ren Yisheng, First Secretary
Colombia
Ms. Ana Maria Prieto, Counsellor
Costa Rica
Mr. Alejandro Rolano, Minister Counsellor
Mr. C. Houstian Guillermet, Minister Counsellor
Cuba
Mr. Jorge Ferrer
Cyprus
Ms. Frances-Galatia Williams, Deputy Permanent Representative
Ms. Helena Mina, Second Secretary
Czech Republic
Ms. Ivana Schellongova, Second Secretary
Denmark
Ms. Eva Grambye, First Secretary
Egypt
Mr. Ibrahim Salama, Counsellor
Estonia
Ms. Kersti Alt, Third Secretary
Finland
Mr. Pekka Huhtaniemi, Ambassador and Permanent Representative
Mr. Erik Af Hällström, First Secretary
France
Mr. Jefferson Mouzas
Germany
Mr. Walter Lewalter, Permanent Representative
Mr. Peter Rothen, First Counsellor
Mr. Robert Dieter, First Secretary
Guatemala
Mr. Antonio Arenales, Ambassador Permanent Representative
Mr. Carlo Rodriguez, Minister Counsellor
Haiti
Mrs. Moetsi Duchatellier, First Secretary
Holy See
Mr. Edgar Peña, Counsellor
India
Mr. Sharat Sabaharwal, Deputy Permanent Representative
Israel
Mr. Yaakov Levy, Ambassador and Permanent Representative
Mr. Tuvia Israeli, Deputy Permanent Representative
Italy
Mr. Guiseppe Calvetta, First Counsellor
Japan
Mr. Takashi Shibuta, First Secretary
Ms. Naoko Maepa, Special Assistant
Jordan
Ms. Saja S. Miyali, Third Secretary
Latvia
Mr. Raimonds Jansons, Counsellor
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Mrs. Najat Al-Hajjaji, Ambassador and Permanent Representative
Malaysia
Mr. Hasrudin Hamzah, Deputy Permanent Representative
Ms. Fenny Nuli, Second Secretary
Morocco
Ms. Jalila Hoummane, Minister Counsellor
Mexico
Ms. Alicia Elena Péres Duarte, Counsellor
Monaco
Mr. Jean-Philippe Bertani, Second Secretary
Nepal
Mr. Nabiz B. Shresiha, Minister Counsellor
Netherlands
Mr. Henk Cor van der Kwask, Counsellor
New Zealand
Ms. Deborah Geels, Counsellor
Nigeria
Mr. K. U. Ateb, Senior Counsellor
Peru
Mr. Juan Pablo Vegas, First Secretary
Philippines
Mr. Denis Lepatan, Minister
Poland
Mr. Toman Knothe, Minister Counsellor
Republic of Korea
Mr. Kang-il Hu, First Secretary
Slovakia
Ms. Barbara Illková, Deputy Permanent Representative and
Counsellor
Slovenia
Mr. Andrai Zidar, Second Secretary
South Africa
Mr. Haiko Alfeld, First Secretary
Sri Lanka
Mr. Prasad Kariyawasam, Ambassador and Permanent Representative
Mr. S. S. Ganegama Arachchi, Counsellor
Sweden
Ms. Christine Lindberg, First Secretary
Switzerland
Mr. Vigny Jean-Daniel, Minister
Syrian Arab Republic
Mr. Suleiman Sarra, Minister Counsellor
Thailand
Ms. Phantipha Iamsudha, First Secretary
Turkey
Mr. Tolga Kaya, Third Secretary
Ukraine
Ms. Ivanna Markina, Second Secretary
United Arab Emirates
Mr. Mohamed Hilal, First Secretary
Mr. Ben Amara Belhassen
United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland
Mr. Kevin Lyne, First Secretary
Mr. Mark Armstrong
United States of America
Mr. Steven Solomon, Attaché
Ms. Veemayoury Baccam, Second Secretary
Ms. Erin Porter
Viet Nam
Mr. Duong Chi-Dung, Counsellor
Yugoslavia
Ms. Mirjana Radic, Minister Counsellor
Mr. Aleksandar Radovanovic, Counsellor
Ms. Susana Boskovic-Prodanovic, Attaché
B. United Nations departments, specialized
agencies, funds and programmes
|
Name and title |
Organization |
| |
|
|
Ms. Jane Connors, Chief, Women's Rights Unit |
United Nations Division for the Advancement of
Women |
|
Ms. Marie Heuzé, Director
Mr. Jameleddine Ben Yahmed, Chief, Press Section |
United Nations Information Service in Geneva |
|
Ms. Miriam Maluwa, Law, Human Rights and Ethics Adviser |
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/ AIDS
(UNAIDS) |
|
Ms. Odile Sorgho-Moulinier, Director, UNDP Office at Geneva
Mr. Bertrand Coppens, Deputy Director, UNDP Office at
Geneva |
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) |
|
Mr. Pierre Sané, Assistant Director-General for Social and
Human
Sciences
Mr. Rudolf Joo, Director, Division of Human Rights, Democracy,
Peace and Tolerance
Mr. Vladimir Volodine, Senior Programme Specialist, Division of
Human Rights, Democracy, Peace and Tolerance |
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) |
|
Mr. Alejandro Cedenos, Senior Protection Officer
Mr. William Kirtley |
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR) |
|
Ms. Lesley Miller, Regional Office for Europe
Mr. Ken Maskall, Office in Kyrgyzstan |
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) |
|
Mr. Alfredo Sfeir-Younis, Special Representative to the United
Nations
and the World Trade Organization in Geneva |
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World
Bank) |
|
Ms. Ana Angarita, Coordinator, Gender and Reproductive
Rights
Ms. Ewa Orzechowska |
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) |
|
Mr. Martin Oelz |
International Labour Organization (ILO) |
|
Mr. Norman Scott, Consultant |
International Monetary Fund (IMF) |
|
Ms. Helena Nygren-Krug, Human Rights Adviser |
World Health Organization (WHO) |
C. Intergovernmental organizations
|
Name and title |
Organization |
| |
|
|
Mr. S. Günter Nagel, Head of the Department for the
Execution of Judgements of the European Court of Human
Rights |
Council of Europe |
| |
Organization of African Unity |
|
Ms. Helena Pejic, Legal Adviser, Legal Division |
International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC) |
D. Non-governmental organizations
|
Name and title |
Organization |
| |
|
|
Ms. Debra Long
Mr. Mark Thomson |
Association for the Prevention of Torture |
|
Ms. Gina Bark
Ms. Antoine Madelin, Permanent Delegate |
International Federation of Human Rights |
|
Mr. Adrien-Claude Zoller, Director
Mr. Morris Tidball-Binz
Ms. Marianne Berndtsson
Ms. Alison Graham
Ms. Patricia Prentice
Ms. Sjeanne Kamphorst |
International Service for Human Rights |
|
Ms. Marsha Freeman, Director |
International Women's Rights Action Watch |
|
Ms. Laura Theytaz-Bergman
Ms. Denise Allen
Ms. Katie Reed |
NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the
Child |
|
Mr. Anselmo Lee, Secretary-General |
Pax Romana |
|
Ms. Anki Flores
Ms. Margaret Furth |
Anti-Racism Information Service |
|
Ms. Loubra Freih, Associate United Nations
Representative |
Human Rights Watch |
|
Ms. Sophie Marsac |
Amnesty International |
