HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEENinety-fourth sessionGeneva, 13- 31 October 2008

PROVISIONAL AGENDA AND ANNOTATIONS

Note by the Secretary-General

1.The ninety-fourth session of the Human Rights Committee will be held at the United Nations Office at Geneva from 13 to 31 October 2008. The first meeting will be convened at the United Nations Office at Geneva, Palais Wilson, Ground Floor Conference Room, on Monday, 13 October 2008 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 ninety-fourth 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 during the ninety-fourth 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-fourth session. The pre-sessional working group will meet from 6 to 10 October 2008.

GE.08-44287 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 member of the Committee in accordance with article 38 of the Covenant.

3.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.General comments of the Committee.

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

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 ninety-fourth session of the Committee.

2.Solemn declaration by the newly elected member 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 new member elected at the Twenty‑Sixth Meeting of States Parties to the Covenant on 28 July 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. 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.

4. Organizational and other matters

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

5.Meeting with representatives of non-governmentaland intergovernmental organizations

At its ninetieth session, the Committee decided to hear representatives of non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations represented at the United Nations Office at Geneva. The meeting has accordingly been scheduled for the morning meeting on Monday, 13 October 2008, from 11 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.

6. 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).

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

The reports to be considered during the ninety-fourth session are those of Denmark, Japan, Monaco, Nicaragua and Spain.

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

Timetable for consideration of reports under article 40 of the Covenant

Denmark	Fifth periodic report (CCPR/C/DNK/5)	Monday, 13 October 2008 p.m. Tuesday, 14 October 2008 a.m.
Monaco	Second periodic report (CCPR/C/MCO/2)	Tuesday, 14 October 2008 p.m. Wednesday, 15 October 2008 a.m.
Japan	Fifth periodic report(CCPR/C/JPN/5)	Wednesday, 15 October 2008 p.m.Thursday, 16 October 2008 a.m.
Nicaragua	Third periodic report (CCPR/C/NIC/3)	Friday, 17 October 2008 a.m./p.m.
Spain	Fifth periodic report (CCPR/C/ESP/5)	Monday, 20 October 2008 p.m. Tuesday, 21 October 2008 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 ninety-fourth session.

Country report task forces will examine and adopt lists of issues on the reports of Australia, Azerbaijan, Chad, Netherlands (including reports of Aruba and Netherlands Antilles), and Rwanda.

8. 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-fourth session. The Special Rapporteur for follow-up on Views will also provide a progress report on his activities.

9.General comments of the Committee

Under this item, the Committee will continue considering a draft general comment on States parties’ obligations under the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

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 409 communications are pending before the Committee as of 11 August 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.

-----