1. The seventh meeting of persons chairing the human rights treaty bodies will be held at the United Nations Office at Geneva from 16 to 20 September 1996. The meeting will be convened on Monday, 16 September 1996, at 10 a.m.

2. This document contains the provisional agenda for the seventh meeting of chairpersons, prepared by the Secretary-General, together with annotations relating thereto.

1. Opening of the meeting.

2. Election of the officers of the meeting.

3. Adoption of the agenda.

4. Organizational and other matters.

5. Review of recent developments relating to the work of the treaty bodies.

6. Improving the operation of the human rights treaty bodies.

7. Cooperation of human rights treaty bodies with United Nations non-conventional human rights bodies and mechanisms and regional organizations.

8. Gender perspectives in the work of the treaty bodies.

9. Prevention of human rights violations, including early warning and urgent procedures.

10. Assistance to States in implementing treaty body recommendations.

11. Adoption of the report to the General Assembly.

The meeting will be opened by the representative of the Secretary-General, who will act as temporary chairperson until a chairperson is elected.

A chairperson and a rapporteur will be elected from among the treaty body representatives at the meeting.

The meeting will adopt its agenda, which it may decide to revise at any time.

Under this agenda item, the meeting will consider its programme of work. In this connection, it may be noted that in accordance with the chairpersons' recommendations (see A/49/537, paras. 37 and 42 and A/50/505, paras. 24 and 27), representatives of the specialized agencies and other organizations within the United Nations system, regional intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations, have been invited to the seventh meeting.

Under the same item, the chairpersons may wish to discuss the preparation of the round table on women's health and reproductive rights to be organized by the United Nations Population Fund in the first half of December 1996. Participants in the round table will include experts from each human rights treaty body, representatives from specialized agencies and non-governmental organizations.

Under this agenda item, there will be a brief oral review by each participant of recent developments of special concern to the respective treaty bodies.

Under this agenda item, the meeting may wish to consider ways further to improve the operation of the treaty bodies. In this connection, the chairpersons will have before them the reports of the Secretary-General (i) on the status of the international human rights instruments and the general situation of overdue reports (HRI/MC/1996/3); and (ii) on improving the operation of the human rights treaty bodies (HRI/MC/1996/2) the latter of which provides information on follow-up to the conclusions and recommendations contained in the report of the sixth meeting of chairpersons.

In addition, the following documentation will be provided to the chairpersons:

(a) Report of the fifth and sixth meetings of persons chairing the human rights treaty bodies (A/49/537 and A/50/505);

(b) Interim report of the updated study of the independent expert on enhancing the long-term effectiveness of the United Nations human rights treaty regime (A/CONF.157/PC/62/Add.11/Rev.1);

(c) Vienna statement of the international human rights treaty bodies (A/CONF.157/TBB/4 and Add.1);

(d) Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (A/CONF.157/23);

(e) Relevant resolutions of the General Assembly, including resolution 50/170 on the effective implementation of international instruments on human rights, including reporting obligations under international instruments on human rights;

(f) Relevant resolutions of the Commission on Human Rights, including resolutions 1955/16 on the status of the International Covenants on Human Rights, 1996/22 on the effective implementation of international instruments on human rights, including reporting obligations under international instruments on human rights, and 1995/78 on comprehensive implementation and follow-up to the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action;

(g) Compilation of general comments and general recommendations adopted by human rights treaty bodies (HRI/GEN/1/Rev.2).

8. Gender perspectives in the work of the treaty bodies

As recommended at their sixth meeting (see A/50/505, para 35), the chairpersons may wish to report on progress made by treaty bodies in considering how they could most effectively incorporate the proposals referred to in paragraph 34 of document A/50/505 into their work practices.

10. Assistance to States in implementing treaty body recommendations

Several General Assembly and Commission on Human Rights resolutions refer to the usefulness of technical assistance and advisory services in helping States parties to comply with their obligations pursuant to United Nations human rights instruments. At their sixth meeting the chairpersons recommended that all programmes of human rights technical assistance be planned and implemented with the full cooperation and collaboration of all relevant parties, especially those which benefit from a presence in the country concerned. Accordingly, the chairpersons may wish to discuss, in consultation with United Nations organs and agencies and staff from the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and relevant services of the Centre for Human Rights, the progress made in providing assistance to States in implementing treaty body recommendations.

The seventh meeting of chairpersons will adopt its report to the fifty-first session of the General Assembly.