Distr.

GENERAL

HRI/MC/2003/1
13 May 2003


Original: ENGLISH

Provisional Agenda and Annotations : . 13/05/2003.


Convention Abbreviation:
Fifteenth meeting of chairpersons
of the human rights treaty bodies
Geneva, 23-27 June 2003


PROVISIONAL AGENDA AND ANNOTATIONS
Note by the Secretary-General

1. The fifteenth meeting of chairpersons of the human rights treaty bodies will be held from 23 to 27 June 2003, pursuant to General Assembly resolution 49/178 of 23 December 1994, in which the Secretary-General was requested to finance, as of 1995, annual meetings of the chairpersons. Prior to their meeting in 1995, the chairpersons had met for the first time in 1984 and biannually from 1988 until 1994.

2. The present document, which was prepared in consultation with the chairpersons, contains the provisional agenda for their fifteenth meeting and annotations relating thereto.

PROVISIONAL AGENDA

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 fourteenth meeting of chairpersons.

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

6. Status of the 2003 Annual Appeal of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the 2002-2004 Programme to Support Human Rights Organs.7. Strengthening support to and enhancing the effectiveness of the treaty bodies.8. National-level implementation of treaty body recommendations.

9. Cooperation with the Commission on Human Rights and the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.

10. Informal consultations with States.

11. Fifth joint meeting with the tenth meeting of special rapporteurs/representatives, experts and chairpersons of working groups of the special procedures of the Commission on Human Rights.

12. Joint meeting with the tenth meeting of special rapporteurs/representatives, experts and chairpersons of working groups of the special procedures of the Commission on Human Rights and the Independent Expert on the UN Study on Violence against Children.

13. Adoption of the report and setting of dates for the sixteenth meeting of chairpersons.


ANNOTATIONS TO THE PROVISIONAL AGENDA


Item 1. Opening of the meeting and election of officers

The meeting will convene at the United Nations Office at Geneva (Palais Wilson) on Monday, 23 June 2003, at 10 a.m. The Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of the meeting will be elected.


Item 2. Adoption of the agenda

The meeting will adopt its agenda on the basis of the provisional agenda contained in the present document.


Item 3. Organizational and other matters

Under this agenda item, the meeting will consider and adopt a programme of work.


Item 4. Follow up to the recommendations of the fourteenth meeting of chairpersons

The chairpersons will review the follow up to the recommendations they made at their fourteenth meeting in June 2002. A document containing information on the follow up will be made available to the chairpersons.


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

Under this agenda item, the chairpersons will have an opportunity to update the meeting on developments with respect to the treaty bodies on which they serve, as well as to discuss general developments relating to their work. Other recent developments of interest to the treaty bodies may also be discussed under this item.


Item 6. Status of the 2003 Annual Appeal of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the 2002-2004 Programme to Support Human Rights Organs.

The chairpersons will have an opportunity to review the status of the initiatives to increase financial resources available to treaty bodies and strengthen the implementation of their recommendations. A presentation will be given on the status of contributions to the 2003 Annual Appeal of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, through which fund-raising for the 2002-2004 Programme to Support Human Rights Organs takes place. The chairpersons will also have the opportunity to review the specific activities that have been undertaken under this Programme since their last meeting in June 2002, as well as consider what activities should be undertaken in the year ahead. The 2002-2004 Programme to Support Human Rights Organs and Treaty Bodies will be made available to the chairpersons.


Item 7. Strengthening support to and enhancing the effectiveness of the treaty bodies
The topic of discussion is the streamlining of reporting procedures and the harmonization of working methods between treaty bodies, in light of the Secretary-General's proposals contained in his report Strengthening of the United Nations: an agenda for further change (A/57/387). The Secretariat has prepared a factual background paper outlining past discussions within the UN system (HRI/ICM/2003/3). The chairperson's will also review the reports of the informal Brainstorming Meeting held in Malbun, Liechtenstein from 4-7 May 2003 (HRI/ICM/2003/6) and the Second Inter-Committee Meeting, held in Geneva from 18-20 June 2003.


Item 8. National-level implementation of treaty body recommendations

Under this item, United Nations departments, specialized agencies, funds, programmes and mechanisms, national human rights institutions and non-governmental organizations that work with the treaty bodies are requested to provide information on how treaty body recommendations are being followed up at the national level. In order to enhance the exchange of information, the chairpersons will meet separately with non-governmental organizations and UN and other intergovernmental partners.

Item 9. Cooperation with the Commission on Human Rights and the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.

Under this agenda item, the chairpersons will be able to engage in a discussion with the members of the expanded Bureau of the fifty-ninth session of the Commission on Human Rights and members of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights on issues of common concern and interest, in accordance with the practice established at previous meetings. The matters to be discussed may include the deliberations of the Commission and any decisions taken on the subject of the treaty bodies. In addition, recent initiatives undertaken for the improvement of the treaty system may also be discussed.


Item 10. Informal consultation with States

Under this agenda item, the chairpersons will have the opportunity to engage with representatives of State on the functioning of the treaty bodies. It is proposed that the topic of discussion during this informal consultation be the treaty bodies' methods of work relating to the State reporting process, in particular with regards to the Secretary-General's proposals for streamlining of human rights reporting (see Item 7 above).


Item 11. Fifth joint meeting with the tenth meeting of special rapporteurs/representatives, experts and chairpersons of working groups of the special procedures of the Commission on Human Rights.

The chairpersons will meet with the special rapporteurs/representatives, experts and chairpersons of working groups of the Commission on Human Rights, who have been convened for their tenth meeting. Pursuant to the recommendations of the of the fourth joint meeting, the topic of discussion is globalization. An informal background paper has been prepared by the Secretariat.

Item 12. Joint meeting with the tenth meeting of special rapporteurs/representatives, experts and chairpersons of working groups of the special procedures of the Commission on Human Rights and the Independent Expert on the UN Study on Violence against Children.

The chairpersons, together with the tenth meeting of special rapporteurs/representatives, experts and chairpersons of working groups of the special procedures of the Commission on Human Rights, will meet with the newly appointed Independent Expert on the UN Study on Violence against Children. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss and establish measures for treaty bodies and special mechanisms of the Commission on Human Rights to contribute to the study. A background document has been prepared by the Secretariat (HRI/MC/2003/4).

Item 13. Adoption of the report and setting of dates for the fourteenth meeting of chairpersons

The chairpersons will adopt a report on their meeting, including conclusions and recommendations, to be held in 2004.


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