Human Rights Committee
10 7 th session
Geneva, 11 – 28 March 2013
Item 4 of the provisional agenda
Adoption of the agenda
Provisional agenda and annotations
Note by the Secretary-General
1.The 107th session of the Human Rights Committee will be held at the United Nations Office at Geneva from 11- 28 March 2013. The first meeting will be convened (Palais Wilson, ground floor conference room) on Monday 11 March at 10 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 107th 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 items 8, and 9 which contain the tentative timetable for the consideration of reports during the 107th 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 107th session. The pre-sessional working group will meet from 5 to 8 March 2013.
Provisional agenda
1.Opening of the session by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights or her representative.
2.Solemn declaration by the newly elected members of the Committee in accordance with article 38 of the Covenant.
3.Election of Chairperson and other officers of the Committee.
4.Adoption of the agenda.
5.Organizational and other matters, including the adoption of the report of the pre-sessional working group on individual communications.
6.Meeting with representatives of United Nations bodies, specialized agencies, national human rights institutions, and non-governmental organizations.
7.Submission of reports by States parties under article 40 of the Covenant.
8.Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 40 of the Covenant.
9.Consideration of a country situation in the absence of a report, pursuant to rule 70 of the Committee’s rules of procedure.
10.Follow-up to concluding observations on State reports.
11.Follow-up to Views under the Optional Protocol.
12.Consideration of communications under the Optional Protocol to the Covenant.
13.Adoption of the annual report to the General Assembly.
Annotations
1.Opening of the session by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights or her representative
The High Commissioner for Human Rights or her representative will open the 107th session of the Committee.
2.Solemn declaration by the newly elected members of the Committee in accordance with article 38 of the Covenant
In accordance with article 38 of the Covenant and rule 16 of the rules of procedure, the member of the Committee elected at the thirty-second meeting of States Parties to the Covenant on 6 September 2012 will make the following solemn declaration:
“I solemnly undertake to discharge my duties as a member of the Human Rights Committee impartially and conscientiously”.
3.Election of Chairperson and other officers of the Committee
In accordance with article 39, paragraph 1, of the Covenant and rule 17 of the rules of procedure, the Committee shall elect from among its members a Chairperson, three Vice‑Chairpersons and a Rapporteur. The officers of the Committee shall be elected for a term of two years (rule 18 of the rules of procedure). Under rule 58 of the rules of procedure, elections shall be held by secret ballot, unless the Committee decides otherwise in the case of an election to fill a place for which there is only one candidate .
4.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.
5.Organizational and other matters, including the adoption of the report of the pre-sessional working group on individual communications
Under this item, the Committee will consider miscellaneous issues relevant to the Committee’s business.
6.Meeting with representatives of United Nations bodies, specialized agencies, national human rights institutions, and non-governmental organizations
At each session, the Committee hears representatives of United Nations bodies, specialized agencies, national human rights institutions (NHRIs), and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) represented at the United Nations Office at Geneva. The following meetings have accordingly been scheduled: for specialized agencies on 11 March from 12.noon to 1 p.m.; for NHRIs and NGOs on Paraguay, and Hong Kong, China on 13 March from 5 to 6 p.m.; for NHRIs and NGOs on Angola and Belize on 13 March from 5 to 6 p.m.; for NHRIs and NGOs on Macao, China and Peru on 18 March from 12 noon to 1 p.m...
7.Submission of reports by States parties under article 40 of the Covenant
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 2012 (A/67/40, vol. I).
8.Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 40 of the Covenant
The reports to be considered during the 107th session are those of Paraguay; Hong Kong, China;, Angola, Macao, China; and Peru.
A tentative timetable for the consideration of reports at the 107th session, prepared in consultation with the Committee, is given below:
|
Timetable for consideration of reports under article 40 of the Covenant |
|
Paraguay |
Third periodic report (CCPR/C/PRY/3) |
Monday, 11 March, p.m. Tuesday, 12 March, a.m. |
|
Hong Kong , China |
Third p eriodic report (CCPR/C/CHN-HKG/3) |
Tuesday, 12 March, p.m. Wednesday, 13 March, a.m. |
|
Angola |
Initial report (CCPR/C/ AGO /1) |
Thurs day, 1 4 March , a.m. and p.m. Fri day, 1 5 March , a.m. |
|
Macao , China |
Initial report (CCPR/C/ CHN-MAC / 1 ) |
Mon day, 18 March , p.m., Tues day, 19 March , a.m. |
|
P eru |
F if th periodic report (CCPR/C/P ER / 5 ) |
Tuesday, 19 March , p.m., Wednesday, 2 0 March , a.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 107th session.
Country report task forces will examine and adopt lists of issues on the reports of Bolivia, the Czech Republic, Djibouti, Indonesia, Mauritania, Mozambique, Tajikistan, and the United States of America.
9.Consideration of a country situation in the absence of a report, pursuant to rule 70 of the Committee’s rules of procedure
The Committee will also consider the situation of civil and political rights protected under the Covenant in Belize in the absence of a report on Friday, 15 March, 3 p.m.
10.Follow-up to concluding observations on State reports
At its seventy-fourth session, the Committee adopted decisions governing the procedure for following up on concluding observations. The Special Rapporteur will provide a progress report on his/her activities during the 107th session.
11.Follow-up to Views under the Optional Protocol
The Special Rapporteur for follow-up on Views will provide a progress report on his/her activities.
12.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 343 communications are pending before the Committee as of 21 December 2012. 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.