E/1997/22
E/C.12/1996/6
COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND
CULTURAL RIGHTS
REPORT ON THE FOURTEENTH AND FIFTEENTH SESSIONS
(30 April17 May 1996, 18 November6 December 1996)
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL
OFFICIAL RECORDS, 1997
SUPPLEMENT No. 2
UNITED NATIONS
E/1997/22
E/C.12/1996/6
COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND
CULTURAL RIGHTS
REPORT ON THE FOURTEENTH AND FIFTEENTH SESSIONS
(30 April17 May 1996, 18 November6 December 1996)
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL
OFFICIAL RECORDS, 1997
SUPPLEMENT No. 2
UNITED NATIONS
New York and Geneva, 1997
NOTE
Symbols of United Nations documents are composed of capital letters combined with figures. Mention of such a symbol indicates a reference to a United Nations document.
E/1997/22 E/C.12/1996/6 |
CONTENTS
Paragraphs Page
ABBREVIATIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Chapter
I. ORGANIZATIONAL AND OTHER MATTERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 19 8
A. States parties to the Covenant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8
B. Sessions and agenda. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 3 8
C. Membership and attendance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 6 8
D. Presessional working group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 9 9
E. Officers of the Committee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 10
F. Organization of work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 14 10
G. Next session. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 11
H. States parties' reports scheduled for
consideration by the Committee at its
sixteenth session. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 17 11
I. Composition of the presessional working group
Sixteenth session. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 12
Seventeenth session. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 12
II. OVERVIEW OF THE PRESENT WORKING METHODS OF THE
COMMITTEE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 51 13
A. General guidelines for reporting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 13
B. Examination of States parties' reports. . . . . . . . . . 23 36 13
1. Work of the presessional working group. . . . . 23 31 13
2. Presentation of the report. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 35 15
3. Deferrals of the presentation of reports. . . . 36 16
C. Procedures in relation to followup action. . . . . . 37 40 16
D. Procedure in response to nonsubmitted and
considerably overdue reports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 43 17
GE.9716119 (E)
CONTENTS (continued)
Chapter Paragraphs Page
II. E. Day of general discussion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 18
(cont'd)
F. Other consultations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 47 18
G. General comments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 51 19
III. SUBMISSION OF REPORTS BY STATES PARTIES UNDER
ARTICLES 16 AND 17 OF THE COVENANT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 55 20
IV. CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES
PARTIES UNDER ARTICLES 16 AND 17 OF THE COVENANT. . . . 56 366 21
Fourteenth session
Paraguay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 94 22
Spain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 113 27
Guatemala. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 146 29
El Salvador. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 185 34
Guinea (without report). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 211 39
Fifteenth session
Dominican Republic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 242 44
Portugal (Macau). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243 267 48
Belarus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268 295 51
Finland. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296 321 55
United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland (Hong Kong). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322 366 58
V. DAY OF GENERAL DISCUSSION
Thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth sessions:
Draft optional protocol to the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
granting the right of individuals or groups to
submit communications concerning noncompliance
with the Covenant, as recommended by the World
Conference on Human Rights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367 368 64
CONTENTS (continued)
Chapter Paragraphs Page
VI. REVIEW OF METHODS OF WORK OF THE COMMITTEE. . . . . . . . . . 369 399 65
A. Decisions adopted by the Committee at its
fourteenth session. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369 388 65
B. Decisions adopted by the Committee at its
fifteenth session. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389 399 70
VII. ADOPTION OF THE REPORT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400 73
Annexes
I. States parties to the Covenant and status of submission of
reports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
II. Membership of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
III. A. Agenda of the fourteenth session of the Committee on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
(30 April17 May 1996). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
B. Agenda of the fifteenth session of the Committee on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
(18 November6 December 1996). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
IV. Report of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights to the Commission on Human Rights on a draft optional
protocol for the consideration of communications concerning
noncompliance with the International Covenant on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
V. Letter addressed by the Chairperson of the Committee
on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to
Mr. José AyalaLasso, United Nations High Commissioner
for Human Rights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
VI. Letter addressed by the United Nations High Commissioner
for Human Rights to Mr. Philip Alston, Chairperson of the
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
VII. Programme of action to strengthen the implementation
of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
CONTENTS (continued)
Annexes (continued) Page
VIII. A. List of States parties' delegations which participated
in the consideration of their respective reports by
the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
at its fourteenth session. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
B. List of States parties' delegations which participated
in the consideration of their respective reports by
the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
at its fifteenth session. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
IX. A. List of documents of the Committee at its
fourteenth session. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
B. List of documents of the Committee at its
fifteenth session. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
ABBREVIATIONS
AIDS Acquired immune deficiency syndrome
HIV Human immunodeficiency virus
ILO International Labour Organization
OAS Organization of American States
UNDP United Nations Development Programme
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
UNHCR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund
WHO World Health Organization
World Bank International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
Chapter I
ORGANIZATIONAL AND OTHER MATTERS
A. States parties to the Covenant
1. As at 6 December 1996, the closing date of the fifteenth session of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 135 States had ratified or acceded to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which was adopted by the General Assembly in resolution 2200 A (XXI) of 16 December 1966 and opened for signature and ratification in New York on 19 December 1966. The Covenant entered into force on 3 January 1976 in accordance with the provisions of its article 27. A list of States parties to the Covenant is contained in annex I to the present report.
B. Sessions and agenda
2. The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, at its
twelfth session, requested the Economic and Social Council to authorize the
holding of two annual sessions of the Committee, in May and NovemberDecember,
each of three weeks' duration, in addition to a presessional working group of
five members to meet for five days immediately after each session to prepare
the list of issues for consideration at the subsequent session.
The
Economic and Social Council, by its resolution 1995/39 of 25 July 1995,
endorsed the Committee's recommendation. Accordingly, in 1996, the Committee
held its fourteenth session from 30 April to 17 May and its fifteenth session
from 18 November to 6 December. Both sessions were held at the United Nations
Office at Geneva. The agenda for each session is shown in annex III to the
present report.
3. An account of the Committee's deliberations at its fourteenth and fifteenth sessions is contained in the relevant summary records (E/C.12/1996/SR.126 and E/C.12/1996/SR.2755/Add.1, respectively).
C. Membership and attendance
4. All members of the Committee attended the fourteenth session. Mr. Kenneth Osborne Rattray, Mr. Bruno Simma and Mr. Philippe Texier attended only part of the session. All members of the Committee, except Ms. Margerita Vysokajova, attended the fifteenth session. Mr. Kenneth Osborne Rattray and Mr. Bruno Simma attended only part of the session.
5. The following specialized agencies and United Nations organs were represented by observers at the fourteenth session: ILO, UNESCO, WHO, UNHCR and UNDP; and at the fifteenth session: ILO, WHO and the Division for the Advancement of Women of the United Nations Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development.
6. The following non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council were represented by observers at the fourteenth session:
Category I: International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, World Federation of United Nations Associations
Category II: American Association of Jurists, Commission for the Defense of Human Rights in Central America, Habitat International Coalition, International Commission of Jurists, International Federation of Human Rights, International Organization for the Development of Freedom of Education, International Service for Human Rights, OXFAM
Roster: American Association for the Advancement of Science, FIAN Foodfirst Information and Action Network.
and at the fifteenth session:
Category I: International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, World Federation of United Nations Associations
Category II: American Association of Jurists, Andean Commission of Jurists, Habitat International Coalition, International Commission of Jurists, International Federation Terre des Hommes, International Organization for the Development of Freedom of Education, International Service for Human Rights, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
Roster: American Association for the Advancement of Science, FIAN Foodfirst Information and Action Network.
D. Presessional working group
7. The Economic and Social Council, in its resolution 1988/4 of 24 May 1988, authorized the establishment of a presessional working group composed of five members to be appointed by the Chairman to meet for up to one week prior to each session. By decision 1990/252 of 25 May 1990, the Council authorized the meetings of the working group to be held one to three months prior to a session of the Committee.
8. The Chairperson of the Committee, in consultation with the members of the Bureau, designated the following individuals as members of the presessional working group to meet:
Prior to the fourteenth session:
Mr. Ade ADEKUOYE
Ms. Chikako TAYA
Ms. María de los Angeles JIMENEZ BUTRAGUEÑO
Mr. Juan ALVAREZ VITA
Mr. Valeri KOUZNETSOV
Prior to the fifteenth session:
Mr. Mahmoud Samir AHMED
Mr. Juan ALVAREZ VITA
Ms. Virginia BONOANDANDAN
Mr. Dumitru CEAUSU
Ms. María de los Angeles JIMENEZ BUTRAGUEÑO.
9. The presessional working group held its meetings at the United Nations Office at Geneva from 11 to 15 December 1995 and from 20 to 24 May 1996, respectively. All members of the working group attended its meetings. The working group identified issues that might most usefully be discussed with the representatives of the reporting States and lists of such questions were transmitted to the permanent missions of the States concerned.
E. Officers of the Committee
10. The following members of the Committee, elected for a term of two years in accordance with rule 14 of the Committee's rules of procedure, continued to serve as members of the Committee's Bureau:
Chairperson: Mr. Philip ALSTON
ViceChairpersons: Mr. Juan ALVAREZ VITA
Mr. Abdessatar GRISSA
Mr. Dumitru CEAUSU
Rapporteur: Ms. Virginia BONOANDANDAN
F. Organization of work
Fourteenth session
11. The Committee considered its organization of work at its 6th meeting on 2 May, 8th meeting on 3 May, 9th and 10th meetings on 6 May, 15th meeting on 9 May, 17th meeting on 10 May, 19th meeting on 13 May, 22nd meeting on 14 May, 24th meeting on 15 May and 25th meeting on 17 May 1996. In connection with this item, the Committee had before it the following documents:
(a) Draft programme of work for the fourteenth session, prepared by the Secretary-General in consultation with the Chairperson of the Committee (E/C.12/1996/L.1);
(b) Reports of the Committee on the work of its first (E/1987/28), second (E/1988/14), third (E/1989/22), fourth (E/1990/23), fifth (E/1991/23), sixth (E/1992/23), seventh (E/1993/22), eighth and ninth (E/1994/23), tenth and eleventh (E/1995/22), and twelfth and thirteenth sessions (E/1996/22).
12. In accordance with rule 8 of its rules of procedure, the Committee, at its 1st meeting on 30 April 1996, considered the draft programme of work for its fourteenth session and approved it, as amended during consideration (see E/C.12/1996/L.1/Rev.1).
Fifteenth session
13. The Committee considered its organization of work at its 27th meeting on 18 November, 30th meeting on 19 November, 54th meeting on 5 December and 55th meeting on 6 December 1996. In connection with this item, the Committee had before it the following documents:
(a) Draft programme of work for the fifteenth session, prepared by the Secretary-General in consultation with the Chairperson of the Committee (E/C.12/1996/L.2);
(b) Reports of the Committee on the work of its first (E/1987/28), second (E/1988/14), third (E/1989/22), fourth (E/1990/23), fifth (E/1991/23), sixth (E/1992/23), seventh (E/1993/22), eighth and ninth (E/1994/23), tenth and eleventh (E/1995/22), and twelfth and thirteenth sessions (E/1996/22).
14. In accordance with rule 8 of its rules of procedure, the Committee, at its 27th meeting on 18 November 1996, considered the draft programme of work for its fifteenth session and approved it, as amended during consideration (see E/C.12/1996/L.2/Rev.1).
G. Next session
15. In accordance with the established schedule, the sixteenth and seventeenth sessions would take place from 28 April to 16 May 1997 and from 17 November to 5 December 1997, respectively.
H. States parties' reports scheduled for consideration
by the Committee at its sixteenth session
16. The Committee, at its 54th meeting on 5 December 1996, decided that the following States parties' reports would be considered at its sixteenth session:
Initial reports concerning articles 1 to 15 of the Covenant
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya E/1990/5/Add.26
Guyana E/1990/5/Add.27
Zimbabwe E/1990/5/Add.28
Peru E/1990/5/Add.29
Third periodic reports concerning articles 1 to 15 of the Covenant
Russian Federation E/1994/104/Add.8
17. The Committee also decided that it would review the implementation of the provisions of the Covenant in the Central African Republic, which had not submitted any report at all since its ratification of the Covenant, on the basis of any information that might be available to the Committee.
I. Composition of the presessional working group
Sixteenth session
18. The Chairperson of the Committee designated the following members to serve on the presessional working group: Mr. A. Grissa, Ms. M. Jiménez Butragueño, Mr. V. Kouznetsov, Mr. N. Thapalia and Mr. Wimer Zambrano.
Seventeenth session
19. The Chairperson of the Committee designated the following members to serve on the presessional working group: Mr. A. Adekuoye, Ms. V. BonoanDandan, Ms. M. Jiménez Butragueño, Mr. V. Kouznetsov and Mr. K. O. Rattray.
Chapter II
OVERVIEW OF THE PRESENT WORKING METHODS OF THE COMMITTEE
20. This chapter of the Committee's report aims at providing a concise and up-to-date overview and explanation of the ways in which the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights carries out its various functions. It is designed to make the Committee's current practice more transparent and readily accessible so as to assist States parties and others interested in the implementation of the Covenant.
21. Since its first session, in 1987, the Committee has made a concerted effort to devise appropriate working methods which adequately reflect the nature of the tasks with which it has been entrusted. In the course of its 15 sessions it has sought to modify and develop these methods in the light of its experience. These methods will continue to evolve.
A. General guidelines for reporting
22. The Committee attaches major importance to the need to structure the
reporting process and the dialogue with each State party's representatives in
such a way as to ensure that the issues of principal concern to it are dealt
with in a methodical and informative manner. For this purpose, the Committee
has adopted detailed reporting guidelines
with a view to assisting States in
the reporting process and improving the effectiveness of the monitoring system
as a whole. The Committee strongly urges all States parties to report to it
in accordance with the guidelines to the greatest extent possible. These
guidelines will be revised in the course of the Committee's next session(s) in
order to reflect more fully the issues dealt with by the major world
conferences held in recent years.
B. Examination of States parties' reports
1. Work of the pre-sessional working group
23. A pre-sessional working group meets, for five days, prior to each of the Committee's sessions. It is composed of five members of the Committee nominated by the Chairperson, taking account of the desirability of a balanced geographical distribution.
24. The principal purpose of the working group is to identify in advance the
questions which might most usefully be discussed with the representatives of
the reporting States. The aim is to improve the efficiency of the system and
to facilitate the task of States' representatives by providing advance notice
of many of the principal issues which will arise in the examination of the
reports.
25. It is generally accepted that the complex nature and diverse range of many of the issues raised in connection with the implementation of the Covenant constitute a strong argument in favour of providing States parties with the possibility of preparing in advance to answer some of the principal questions arising out of their reports. Such an arrangement also enhances the likelihood that the State party will be able to provide precise and detailed information.
26. With regard to its own working methods, the working group, in the interests of efficiency, allocates to each of its members initial responsibility for undertaking a detailed review of a specific number of reports and for putting before the group a preliminary list of issues. The decision as to how the reports should be allocated for this purpose is based in part on the areas of expertise of the member concerned. Each draft by a country rapporteur is then revised and supplemented on the basis of observations by the other members of the group and the final version of the list is adopted by the group as a whole. This procedure applies equally to both initial and periodic reports.
27. In preparation for the pre-sessional working group, the Committee has asked the Secretariat to place at the disposal of its members a country analysis as well as all pertinent documents containing information relevant to each of the reports to be examined. For this purpose, the Committee has invited all concerned individuals, bodies and non-governmental organizations to submit relevant and appropriate documentation to the Secretariat. It has also asked the Secretariat to ensure that certain types of information are regularly placed in the relevant files.
28. In order to ensure that the Committee is as well informed as possible, it provides opportunities for non-governmental organizations to submit relevant information to it. They may do this in writing at any time. The Committee's pre-sessional working group is also open to the submission of information in person or in writing from any non-governmental organizations, provided that it relates to matters on the agenda of the working group. In addition, the Committee sets aside part of the first afternoon at each of its sessions to enable representatives of non-governmental organizations to provide oral information. Such information should: (a) focus specifically on the provisions of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; (b) be of direct relevance to matters under consideration by the Committee; (c) be reliable; (d) not be abusive. The relevant meeting is open and provided with interpretation services, but is not covered by summary records.
29. The Committee has requested the Secretariat to ensure that any written information formally submitted to it by individuals or non-governmental organizations in relation to the consideration of a specific State party report is made available as soon as possible to the representative of the State concerned.
30. The lists of issues drawn up by the working group are given directly to a representative of the States concerned, along with a copy of the Committee's most recent report and with a note stating, inter alia, the following:
“The list is not intended to be exhaustive and it should not be interpreted as limiting or in any other way prejudging the type and range of questions which members of the Committee might wish to ask. However, the working group believes that the constructive dialogue which the Committee wishes to have with the representatives of the State party can be facilitated by making the list available in advance of the Committee's session. In order to improve the dialogue that the Committee seeks, it strongly urges each State party to provide in writing its replies to the list of issues and to do so sufficiently in advance of the session at which its report will be considered to enable the replies to be translated and made available to all members of the Committee.”
31. In addition to the task of formulating the lists of issues, the pre-sessional working group is also entrusted with a variety of other tasks designed to facilitate the work of the Committee as a whole. These have included: discussing the most appropriate allocation of time for the consideration of each State report; considering the issue of how best to
respond to supplementary reports containing additional information; examining draft general comments; considering how best to structure the day of general discussion; and other relevant matters.
2. Presentation of the report
32. In accordance with the established practice of each of the United Nations human rights treaty monitoring bodies, representatives of the reporting States are entitled, and indeed are strongly encouraged, to be present at the meetings of the Committee when their reports are examined. The following procedure is generally followed. The representative of the State party is invited to introduce the report by making brief introductory comments and introducing any written replies to the list of issues drawn up by the pre-sessional working group. The Committee then considers the report on an articlebyarticle basis, taking particular account of the replies furnished in response to the list of issues. During this period, representatives of relevant specialized agencies and other international bodies are also able to contribute to the dialogue. The representatives of the State party are invited to reply immediately to questions that do not require further reflection or research. Other questions remaining to be answered are taken up at a subsequent meeting. Members of the Committee are free to pursue specific issues in the light of the replies thus provided. Questions which cannot adequately be dealt with in this manner may be the subject of additional information provided to the Committee in writing.
33. The final phase of the Committee's examination of the report consists of the drafting and adoption of its concluding observations. For this purpose, the Committee usually sets aside a brief period, in closed session, to enable its members to express their preliminary views. The country rapporteur then prepares, with the assistance of the Secretariat, a draft set of concluding observations for consideration by the Committee. The agreed structure of the concluding observations is as follows: introduction; positive aspects; factors and difficulties impeding the implementation of the Covenant; principal subjects of concern; and suggestions and recommendations. At a later stage, the Committee then discusses the draft, again in private session, with a view to adopting it by consensus.
34. The concluding observations are formally adopted in public session on the final day of the session. As soon as this occurs they are considered to have been made public and are available to all interested parties. They are forwarded as soon as possible to the State party concerned and included in the Committee's report. If it so wishes, the State party may address any of the Committee's concluding observations in the context of any additional information which it provides to the Committee.
35. In general, the Committee devotes three meetings (of three hours each) to its public examination of each global report (dealing with arts. 1-15). In addition, it generally devotes between two and three hours towards the end of the session, in private, to its discussion of each set of concluding observations.
3. Deferrals of the presentation of reports
36. Last-minute requests by States to defer the presentation of a report which has been scheduled for consideration at a particular session are extremely disruptive for all concerned and have caused major problems for the Committee in the past. Accordingly, the Committee's longstanding policy is not to grant such requests and to proceed with its consideration of all scheduled reports, even in the absence of a representative of the State concerned.
C. Procedures in relation to follow-up action
37. In situations in which the Committee considers that additional information is necessary to enable it to continue its dialogue with the State party concerned, there are several options that might be pursued:
(a) The Committee might note that specific issues should be addressed in a detailed manner in the State party's next periodic report, which would normally be due in five years' time;
(b) The Committee might take note specifically of the State party's stated intention to submit additional information in writing, particularly in response to questions posed by the members of the Committee;
(c) The Committee might specifically request that additional information, relating to matters that it would identify, be submitted to the Committee within six months, thus enabling it to be considered by the pre-sessional working group. In general, the working group could recommend one or another of the following responses to the Committee:
(i) That it take note of such information;
(ii) That it adopt specific concluding observations in response to that information;
(iii) That the matter be pursued through a request for further information; or
(iv) That the Committee's Chairperson be authorized to inform the State party, in advance of the next session, that the Committee would take up the issue at its next session and that, for that purpose, the participation of a representative of the State party in the work of the Committee would be welcome;
(d) The Committee might determine that the receipt of additional information is urgent and request that it be provided within a given time-limit (perhaps two to three months). In such a case, the Chairperson, in consultation with the members of the Bureau, could be authorized to follow up the matter with the State party if no response is received or if the response is patently unsatisfactory.
38. In situations in which the Committee considers that it is unable to obtain the information it requires on the basis of the above-mentioned procedures, it may decide to adopt a different approach instead. In particular, the Committee may, as has already been done in connection with two States parties, request that the State party concerned accept a mission consisting of one or two members of the Committee. Such a decision would be taken only after the Committee had satisfied itself that there was no adequate alternative approach available to it and that the information in its possession warranted such an approach. The purposes of such an on-site visit would be: (a) to collect the information necessary for the Committee to continue its constructive dialogue with the State party and to enable it to carry out its functions in relation to the Covenant; (b) to provide a more comprehensive basis upon which the Committee might exercise its functions in relation to articles 22 and 23 of the Covenant concerning technical assistance and advisory services. The Committee would state specifically the issue(s) with respect to which its representative(s) would seek to gather information from all available sources. The representative(s) would also have the task of considering whether the programme of advisory services administered by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights/Centre for Human Rights could be of assistance in connection with the specific issue at hand.
39. At the conclusion of the visit, the representative(s) would report to the Committee. In the light of the report presented by its representative(s), the Committee would then formulate its own conclusions. Those conclusions would relate to the full range of functions carried out by the Committee, including those relating to technical assistance and advisory services.
40. In a case where the State p