HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE DISCUSSES ITS RELATIONS WITH THE MEDIA

The Human Rights Committee charged with overseeing implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights this afternoon debated ways to enhance its relations with the media, in the context of it overall working methods. In that context, the Committee decided to request the Secretary-General that future sessions of the Committee be held at the Palais des Nations, which it was felt would facilitate and enhance media coverage.

Committee Expert Ivan Shearer presented a working paper on how to improve the Committee’s relations with the media and to make the work of the Committee more widely known, as well as to improve public understanding of its work. Among issues raised in the paper were how to make the Committee's traditional end-of-the-year press conference more effective; whether Committee meetings should be moved from Palais Wilson to the Palais des Nations, were there were more facilities and were it was easier to attract the press; and whether the Committee’s conclusions on private communications should be communicated to the media.

Further questions and remarks, raised for discussion by Mr. Shearer included whether the Committee should abandon its rule of keeping the name of the country Rapporteurs confidential; whether draft versions of General Comments should be posted online before they were being adopted; and whether the results of the follow-up procedures should be made available in the public domain. He also suggested that the Committee consider naming a Rapporteur on media relations.

During the ensuing discussion, a number of Experts criticized the current Committee website, which was categorized by one Expert as "a mess". Noting that many legal associations and organizations around the world now had blogs, an Expert suggested that those could be tapped to communicate the Committee’s work. An Expert suggested that the tapes of the Committee’s meetings, which were used by the translation service, be posted on the Web. Other Experts were concerned about whether that could be done legally if the States parties involved objected. The risk of the possibility of selectively using the recordings to distort their meaning was also raised. It was decided that the legal status of this possibility should be checked out. Several Experts also expressed displeasure at the fact that UN press releases did not mention Experts by name. It was felt that the press wanted names to be able to quote them.

At the end of the session, the Committee made the decision to request the Secretary-General to authorize the Committee to meet at the Palais des Nations when considering reports of State Parties.

It was also decided that Mr. Shearer would revise his working paper to include the concerns raised today, and that the Committee would continue to consider the issue of its media relations during its next meeting in New York, to be held from 17 March to 4 April 2008.

When the Committee next reconvenes in public, on Tuesday, 30 October 2007, it is scheduled to continue it discussion of its working methods.

For use of the information media; not an official record

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