HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEEEighty-sixth sessionNew York, 13-31 March 2006

PROVISIONAL AGENDA AND ANNOTATIONS

Note by the Secretary-General

1.The eighty-sixth session of the Human Rights Committee will be held at United Nations Headquarters from 13 to 31 March 2006. The first meeting will be convened on Monday, 13 March 2006 at 10.00 a.m.

2.In accordance with rule 6 of the Committee’s rules of procedure, the Secretary-General has prepared, in consultation with the Chairperson of the Committee, the attached provisional agenda for the eighty-sixth session. Annotations to the provisional agenda are also attached.

3.Pursuant to rule 33 of the Committee’s rules of procedure, the meetings of the Committee will be held in public unless the Committee decides otherwise or it appears from the relevant provisions of the Covenant or the Optional Protocol that the meetings should be held in private.

4.The attention of States parties is drawn, in particular, to the annotations to item 6 which contain the tentative timetable for the consideration of reports and country situations during the eighty-sixth session. In accordance with rule 68 of the Committee’s rules of procedure, representatives of States parties are expected to be present at the meetings of the Committee when their reports are examined.

5.As established under rule 95 of its rules of procedure, a working group should meet for a period of one week prior to its eighty-sixth session. The pre-sessional working group will meet from 6 to 10 March 2006.

GE.05-45553

PROVISIONAL AGENDA

1.Opening of the session by the High Commissioner or her representative.

2.Adoption of the agenda.

3.Organizational and other matters.

4.Meeting with representatives of non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations.

5.Submission of reports by States parties under article 40 of the Covenant.

6.Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 40 of the Covenant and of country situations.

7.Follow-up to concluding observations on State reports and to Views under the Optional Protocol.

8.General comments of the Committee.

9.Consideration of communications under the Optional Protocol to the Covenant.

ANNOTATIONS

Opening of the session by the High Commissioner for Human Rights or her representative

The High Commissioner for Human Rights or her representative will open the eighty-sixth session of the Committee.

Adoption of the agenda

Under rule 8 of the Committee’s rules of procedure, the first item on the agenda for any session shall be the adoption of the agenda. In accordance with rule 9, the Committee may revise the agenda during a session and may, as appropriate, defer or delete items.

Organizational and other matters

Under this item, the Committee will consider miscellaneous issues relevant to the Committee’s business.

Meeting with representatives of non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations

At its eighty-fifth session, the Committee decided to hear representatives of non‑governmental and intergovernmental organizations represented at United Nations Headquarters. The meeting has accordingly been scheduled for Monday, 13 March 2006, from 11.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. and from 3.00 to 6.00 p.m.

Submission of reports by States parties uder article 40 of the Covenant

Reports received

Apart from the reports which are scheduled for consideration by the Committee at its eighty-sixthsession (see the timetable for consideration of reports under item 6 below), the Secretary-General has received the fourth periodic report of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and the sixth periodic report of Ukraine. .

Reports due

For the situation with regard to the submission of reports by States parties under article 40 of the Covenant, reference is made to chapter III and annexes III and IV of the Committee’s annual report to the General Assembly for 2005 (see A/60/40, vol. I).

Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 40 of the Covenant and of country situations

The reports to be considered during the eighty-sixth session are those of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region-China and Norway. The country situation to be examined is that of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. A tentative timetable for the consideration of reports and country situations at the eighty‑sixth session, prepared in consultation with the Committee, is given below:

Timetable for consideration of reports of States parties and country situations

Norway	Fifth periodic report (CCPR/C/NOR/2004/5)	Tuesday, 14 March 2006 a.m./ p.m.
Democratic Republic of Congo	Third periodic report (CCPR/C/COD/2005/3)	Wednesday, 15 March 2006 p.m. Thursday, 16 March 2006 a.m.
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region-China	Second periodic report (CCPR/C/HKG/2005/2)	Monday, 20 March 2006 p.m.Tuesday, 21 March 2006 a.m.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Country situation	Wednesday, 22 March 2006 a.m./p.m.

In accordance with rule 68 of the Committee’s rules of procedure, the Secretary-General has informed the States parties concerned of the dates on which their respective reports are scheduled for consideration by the Committee at its eighty-sixth session. In accordance with rule 70, paragraph 1, of the Committee’s rules of procedure, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has also been informed of the dates for the consideration of the situation of civil and political rights in the country (in the absence of a report) at the Committee’s eighty-sixth session.

Follow-up to concluding observations and to Views under the Optional Protocol

At its seventy-fourth session, the Committee adopted decisions governing the procedure for following up on concluding observations. During the seventy-fifth session, a Special Rapporteur for follow-up on concluding observations was appointed; he will provide a progress report on his activities during the eighty-sixth session. The Special Rapporteur for follow-up on Views will equally provide a progress report on his activities.

General comments of the Committee

Under this item, the Committee will continue consideration of a draft revised general comment on article 14 (right to a fair trial).

Consideration of communications under the Optional Protocol to the Covenant

In accordance with the provisions of chapter XVII of the rules of procedure, the Committee will consider under this item communications which are or appear to be submitted to it under the Optional Protocol.

A total of 306 communications are pending before the Committee as of 12 December 2005. Pursuant to the Committee’s new rules of procedure allowing the joint examination of admissibility and merits in most cases, the Committee’s examination of these communications may result in the adoption of Views, or in decisions declaring the communications admissible or inadmissible.

In accordance with article 5, paragraph 3, of the Optional Protocol and rule 88 of the Committee’s rules of procedure, this agenda item will be considered in closed meetings.

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