HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEENinety-fifth sessionNew York, 16 March–3 April 2009

PROVISIONAL AGENDA AND ANNOTATIONS

Note by the Secretary-General

1.The ninety-fifth session of the Human Rights Committee will be held at the United Nations Headquarters from 16 March to 3 April 2009. The first meeting will be convened on Monday, 16 March 2009 at 10 a.m. (conference room 1).

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 ninety-fifth 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 8 which contain the tentative timetable for the consideration of reports during the ninety-fifth 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 ninety-fifth session. The pre-sessional working group will meet from 9 to 13 March 2009.

Provisional agenda

1.Opening of the session by the representative of the Secretary-General.

2.Solemn declaration by 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.

6.Meeting with representatives of non-governmental and intergovernmental 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.Follow-up to concluding observations on State reports and to Views under the Optional Protocol.

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

Annotations

1. Opening of the session by the representative of the Secretary-General

The representative of the Secretary-General will open the ninety-fifth session of the Committee.

2. Solemn declaration by newly elected members of the Committeein accordance with article 38 of the Covenant

In accordance with article 38 of the Covenant and rule 16 of the rules of procedure, the nine members of the Committee elected or re-elected at the Twenty-Sixth Meeting of States Parties to the Covenant on 4 September 2008 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

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

6.Meeting with representatives of non-governmentaland intergovernmental organizations

At its ninety-fourth session, the Committee decided to hear representatives of non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations represented at the United Nations Headquarters. The meeting has accordingly been scheduled for the morning meeting on Monday, 16 March 2009, from 11 a.m. to 1.00 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 2008 (A/63/40, vol. I).

8. Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 40 of the Covenant

The reports to be considered during the ninety-fifth session are those of Rwanda, Chad, Australia and Sweden.

A tentative timetable for the consideration of reports at the ninety-fifth session, prepared in consultation with the Committee, is given below:

Timetable for consideration of reports under article 40 of the Covenant

Rwanda	Third periodic report (CCPR/C/RWA/3)	Monday, 16 March 2009 p.m. Tuesday, 17 March 2009 a.m.
Chad	Initial periodic report(CCPR/C/TCD/1)	Wednesday, 18 March 2009 p.m.Thursday, 19 March 2009 a.m. /p.m.
Australia	Fifth periodic report (CCPR/C/AUS/5)	Monday, 23 March 2009 p.m. Tuesday, 24 March 2009 a.m.
Sweden	Sixth periodic report (CCPR/C/SWE/6)	Wednesday, 25 March 2009 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 ninety-fifth session.

Country report task forces will examine and adopt lists of issues on the reports of the Republic of Moldova, Croatia, the Russian Federation, Switzerland and the United Republic of Tanzania.

9. Follow-up to concluding observations on State reports 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 ninety-fifth session. The Special Rapporteur for follow-up on Views will also provide a progress report on his activities.

10.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 439 communications are pending before the Committee as of 8 January 2008. 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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