7 years 9 months ago
HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE ADOPTS REPORT MONITORING FINDINGS INDIVIDUAL COMMUNICATIONS
25 October 2013
Meeting Summaries
The Human Rights Committee held a meeting this morning in which it adopted a follow-up progress report on individual communications adopted by the Committee at its one hundred and ninth session. The Committee also discussed its methods of work.
The Committee Member acting as Special Rapporteur on Follow-up to Individual Communications, Mr. Yuji Iwasawa, presented the progress report (CCPR/C/109/3) covering submissions received and processed between July and October 2013. The total of 21 cases from 17 countries related to Algeria (three cases), Azerbaijan (…
7 years 9 months ago
HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE CONSIDER REPORT OF URUGUAY
24 October 2013
Meeting Summaries
The Human Rights Committee this afternoon concluded its consideration of the fifth periodic report of Uruguay on its implementation of the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Presenting the report, Ricardo Gonzalez, General Director for Political Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that since Uruguay’s last report of 1998 the country had changed in many respects: the rights of Uruguayan citizens had been greatly expanded. In June 2012 the Human Rights Institute become operational. Efforts had been made to strengthen gender equality, improve…
7 years 9 months ago
HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE DISCUSSES THE RIGHT TO LIBERTY AND SECURITY OF PERSON
24 October 2013
Meeting Summaries
The Human Rights Committee this afternoon discussed its first reading of a draft General Comment on Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, on the right of everybody to liberty and security of person.
The Committee focused on clarifying language dealing with the definition of “arrest”, meaning the initiation of any deprivation of liberty, in paragraph 14. Committee Experts considered the need for detainees to be physically present during a hearing and their entitlement to legal assistance by a counsel of choice during deliberations…
7 years 9 months ago
HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE CONSIDERS REPORT OF MOZAMBIQUE
23 October 2013
Meeting Summaries
The Human Rights Committee this morning concluded its consideration of the initial report of Mozambique on its implementation of the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Presenting the report, Maria Benvinda Levi, Minister of Justice, said that the Government was fully committed to the creation of a society of social justice. Mozambique had in place a well-functioning Human Rights Commission and an Ombudsman, while another major step would be the expected approval of the National Action Plan for Human Rights. Eradication of poverty was one of the most…
7 years 9 months ago
HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE CONSIDERS REPORT OF MAURITANIA
22 October 2013
Meeting Summaries
The Human Rights Committee this morning concluded its consideration of the initial report of Mauritania on its implementation of the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Presenting the report, Mohamed Abdallahi Ould Khattra, Human Rights Commissioner for Humanitarian Action and Relations with Civil Society, said that in 2007 slavery was criminalized as a crime against humanity. He spoke about Mauritania’s efforts to uphold the rights of freedom of opinion and political expression, and to protect and promote the rights of women and children, as well as…
7 years 10 months ago
HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE DISCUSSES DRAFT GENERAL COMMENT ON LIBERTY AND SECURITY OF PERSON
18 October 2013
Meeting Summaries
The Human Rights Committee yesterday and today continued the first reading of its draft General Comment No. 35 on Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on liberty and security of person. The previous reading took place in July 2013, when the first 31 paragraphs were considered.
Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights reads: “Everyone has the right to liberty and security of person. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention. No one shall be deprived of his liberty except on…
7 years 10 months ago
HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE CONSIDERS THE REPORT OF DJIBOUTI
17 October 2013
Meeting Summaries
The Human Rights Committee today concluded its consideration of the initial report of Djibouti on how it implements the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Presenting the report, Abdi Ismael Hersi, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Justice of Djibouti, stated that the report had been prepared in an inclusive and consultative manner. Since Djibouti’s independence in 1977, it had acceded to a wide range of international institutions and human rights instruments. Internally, institutional provisions had been gradually put in place, most notably,…
7 years 10 months ago
HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE CONSIDERS REPORT OF BOLIVIA
16 October 2013
Meeting Summaries
The Human Rights Committee today concluded its consideration of the third periodic report of Bolivia on how it implements the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Presenting the report, Cecilia Ayllon Quinteros, Minister of Justice of Bolivia, spoke about the changes Bolivia had made since the abolishment of dictatorship. She emphasized that a real challenge for developing countries such as Bolivia was to dismantle the machinery of colonization and eliminate all practices leading to inequality and discrimination. The new Constitution was broad-ranging…
7 years 10 months ago
HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE OPENS ONE HUNDREDTH AND NINTH SESSION
14 October 2013
Meeting Summaries
The Human Rights Committee this morning opened its one hundredth and ninth session with statements by the Committee Chairperson and Ibrahim Salama, Director of the Human Rights Treaties Division of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. It also adopted its agenda and programme of work, as well as the report of the Working Group on communications. During the session, the Committee will review the reports of Bolivia, Uruguay, Djibouti, Mauritania and Mozambique. The fourth periodic report of the United States was also due for review, but had been postponed until…
7 years 11 months ago
AUSTRALIA’S DETENTION OF 46 REFUGEES ‘CRUEL AND DEGRADING,’ UNITED NATIONS RIGHTS EXPERTS FIND
22 August 2013
Press Release
Australia’s indefinite detention of 46 recognized refugees on security grounds amounted to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, inflicting serious psychological harm on them, a United Nations Committee has found after examining their cases.
The Geneva-based Human Rights Committee said Australia should release the refugees, who have been held for at least two and a half years, and offer them compensation and rehabilitation.
The refugees -- 42 Tamils from Sri Lanka, three Rohingya from Myanmar and a Kuwaiti -- brought their complaints to Human…
