Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

101st session

Summary record ( p artial )* of the 2805th meeting**

Held via videoconference on Friday, 7 August 2020, at 3 p.m. Central European Time

Chair:Ms. Li

Contents

Closure of the session

The public part of the meeting was called to order at 4.35 p.m .

Closure of the session

Ms. Izsák -Ndiay e (Rapporteur) said that the Committee had conducted its 101st session exclusively via videoconference. Regrettably, technical difficulties had delayed the opening of the session, resulting in an adjustment to the programme of work and the deferral of some activities until the 102nd session.

During the session, the Committee, led by its Working Group on Early Warning and Urgent Action Procedures, had examined situations in several countries requiring its urgent attention. As a result, it had adopted two statements – one concerning the COVID-19 pandemic and its negative impact on vulnerable groups and another on the situation of indigenous peoples in a particular State party – and had issued five letters to States parties.

The Committee had taken a decision on the admissibility of a communication submitted by an individual against a State party under article 14 of the Convention. It had adopted amendments to its rules of procedure to enable it to carry out activities through the use of virtual platforms in exceptional circumstances when members were prevented from attending sessions in person. It had also defined the process whereby it would consider and respond to urgent requests received between sessions, including through its early warning and urgent action procedures.

The Committee, pursuant to article 9 (1) of the Convention and rule 65 of its rules of procedure, had considered follow-up reports from Bosnia and Herzegovina, China, Honduras, Japan, Latvia, Mauritania, Mauritius, Norway, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and it had adopted recommendations to be communicated to those States parties.

At the opening meeting of the session, three non-governmental organizations (NGOs) had issued a joint statement in which they had highlighted the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people belonging to vulnerable groups. The NGOs had called on the Committee to ensure that States parties adopted the necessary protection measures and responded to the pandemic in ways that did not discriminate or leave behind marginalized populations. They had also welcomed the statement issued by the Committee in response to the death of George Floyd. The Committee appreciated the NGOs’ important contributions and ongoing cooperation.

On 5 August, the Committee had adopted its annual report, covering its 99th and 100th sessions and activities in the first half of 2020. The report would be published soon on the Committee’s web page. The Committee’s next session would be held in November and December 2020, with the exact dates still to be determined.

The Chair declared the 101st session of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination closed.

The meeting rose at 4.50 p.m.