MINELRES: UN OHCHR Anti-Discrimination Unit: Information Note 14: CERD
MINELRES moderator
[email protected]
Mon Aug 19 17:05:44 2002
Original sender: Sandra Aragon <[email protected]>
ENGLISH
Information Note about the Committee on the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination
The International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial
Discrimination is one of the most widely ratified treaties, with 162
States parties. It defines "racial discrimination" and commits States
parties to take measures to abolish it in both law and practice. The
Convention established a monitoring body, the Committee on the
Elimination of Racial Discrimination, whose 18 members serve in their
personal capacity.
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) was the
first body created by the United Nations to monitor and review actions
by States to fulfil their obligations under a specific human rights
agreement.
The Convention establishes three procedures to make it possible for CERD
to review the legal, judicial, administrative and other steps taken by
individual States to fulfil their obligations to combat racial
discrimination.
The first is the requirement that all States which ratify or accede to
the Convention must submit periodic reports to CERD; a second procedure
in the Convention provides for State-to-State complaints; the third
procedure makes it possible for an individual or a group of persons who
claim to be victims of racial discrimination to lodge a complaint with
CERD against their State (Art. 14). This may only be done if the State
concerned is a party to the Convention and has declared that it
recognizes the competence of CERD to receive such complaints. 41 States
had made this declaration by 17 June 2002. (Algeria, Australia, Austria,
Azerbaijan, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland,
Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway,
Peru, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Senegal,
Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, The Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia, Ukraine, Uruguay and Yugoslavia).
The Committee holds two sessions of three weeks each year. The sessions
take place in March and August at the United Nations Office in Geneva.
When a report comes before the Committee for examination, a delegation
of the country concerned may introduce it, answer questions from the
experts, and comment on the observations they make.
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination will hold its
61th session from 5 to 23 August 2002 at the United Nations Office at
Geneva. During its session, the Committee will examine the reports of
the following States parties: During its session, the Committee will
examine the reports of the following States parties: Canada, Senegal,
Armenia, Botswana, Hungary, Estonia, Yemen, Mali and New Zealand.
For further information please contact Ms. Nathalie Prouvez or Ms.
Myl�ne Bidault, CERD Secretariat, United Nations Office, OHCHR, CH-1211
Geneva, Switzerland, Tel.: +41 22 917 92 54 or 41 22 917 93 09; e-mail:
[email protected] or [email protected]
Best regards
Sandra Arag�n
NGO Liaison Officer
Anti-Discrimination Unit
OHCHR
Tel (41 22) 917 93 93
Fax (41 22) 917 90 50
E-mail : [email protected]
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>From the moderator: the same text in French and Spanish omitted.
Boris
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