HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEENinety-eighthsessionNew York, 8-26 March 2010
PROVISIONAL AGENDA AND ANNOTATIONS
Note by the Secretary-General
1.The ninety-eighth session of the Human Rights Committee will be held at the United Nations Headquarters from 8 to 26 March 2010 in New York. The first meeting will be convened on Monday 8 March 2010 at 10 a.m in the Economic and Social Council chamber.
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-eighth 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-eighth 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-eight session. The pre-sessional working group will meet from 1 to 5 March 2010.
Provisional agenda
1.Opening of the session by the representative of the Secretary-General.
2.Solemn declaration by the newly elected member of the Committee in accordance with article 38 of the Covenant.
3.Adoption of the agenda.
4.Organizational and other matters.
5.Meeting with representatives of non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations.
6.Submission of reports by States parties under article 40 of the Covenant.
7.Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 40 of the Covenant.
8.Follow-up to concluding observations on State reports and to Views under the Optional Protocol.
9.General comments of the Committee.
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-eighthsession 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 member of the Committee elected at the Twenty-eighthMeeting of States Parties to the Covenant on 9 November 2009 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 Headquarters in New York. The meeting has accordingly been scheduled for the morning meeting on Monday 8 March 2010, from 11 a.m. to 1 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 2009 (A/64/40, vol. I).
7. Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 40 of the Covenant
The reports to be considered during the ninety-eighth session are those of Mexico, Argentina, Uzbekistan and New Zealand.
A tentative timetable for the consideration of reports at the ninety-eighth session, prepared in consultation with the Committee, is given below:
Timetable for consideration of reports under article 40 of the Covenant
Mexico |
Fifth periodic report(CCPR/C/MEX/5) |
Monday, 8 March 2010, p.m.Tuesday, 9 March, a.m. |
Argentina |
Fourth periodic report (CCPR/C/ARG/4) |
Wednesday, 10 March, p.m. Thursday, 11 March, a.m. |
Uzbekistan |
Third periodic report (CCPR/C/UZB/3) |
Thursday, 11 March, p.m. Friday, 12 March, a.m. |
New Zealand |
Fifth periodic report (CCPR/C/NZL/5) |
Monday, 15 March, p.m. Tuesday, 16 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 ninety-eighth session.
Country report task forces will examine and adopt lists of issues on the reports of Serbia, Poland, Jordan, Hungary and Belgium, as well as on the situation in Côte d’Ivoire (in the absence of a report).
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-eighth 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 article 19 of the Covenant.
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 426 communications are pending before the Committee as of 7 December 2009. 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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