HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEENinety-second sessionNew York, 17 March – 4 April 2008

PROVISIONAL AGENDA AND ANNOTATIONS

Note by the Secretary-General

1.The ninety-second session of the Human Rights Committee will be held at the United Nations Office Headquarters from 17 March to 4 April 2008. The first meeting will be convened on Monday, 17 March 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-second session. Annotations to the provisional agenda are also attached.

GE.07-457563.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-second 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-second session. The pre-sessional working group will meet from 10 to 14 March 2008.

Provisional agenda

1.Opening of the session by the High Commissioner for Human Rights or her representative.

2.Adoption of the agenda.

3.Organizational and other matters.

4.Meeting with representatives of non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations.

5.Submission of reports by States parties under article 40 of the Covenant.

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

7.Follow-up to concluding observations on State reports and to Views under the Optional Protocol.

8.General comments of the Committee.

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

Annotations

1.Opening of the session by the High Commissioner for Human Rights or her representative

The High Commissioner for Human Rights or her representative will open the ninety-second session of the Committee.

2. 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.

3. Organizational and other matters

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

4.Meeting with representatives of non-governmentaland intergovernmental organizations

At its ninety-first session, the Committee decided to hear representatives of non‑governmental and intergovernmental organizations represented at United Nations Headquarters. The meeting has accordingly been scheduled for the morning meeting on Monday, 17 March 2008, from 11.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.

Submission of reports by States parties under article 40 of the Covenant

Reports received

Apart from the reports which are scheduled for consideration by the Committee at its ninety-second session (see the timetable for consideration of reports under item 6 below), the Secretary-General has received the second periodic report of Croatia and the sixth periodic report of the Russian Federation.

Reports due

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 2007 (see A/62/40, vol. I).

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

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

Timetable for consideration of reports under article 40 of the Covenant

Tunisia	Fifth periodic report (CCPR/C/TUN/5)	Monday, 17 March 2008 p.m.Tuesday, 18 March 2008 a.m.
Botswana	Initial report (CCPR/C/BWA/1)	Wednesday, 19 March 2008 a.m./ p.m.Thursday, 20 March 2008 a.m.
Panama	Third periodic report(CCPR/C/PAN/3)	Monday, 24 March 2008 p.m. Tuesday, 25 March 2008 a.m.
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia	Second periodic report (CCPR/C/MKD/2)	Wednesday, 26 March 2008 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-second session.

The reports to be considered during the ninety-second session are those of Botswana, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Panama and Tunisia.

Country report task forces will examine and adopt lists of issues on the reports of France, Ireland, Japan and Nicaragua.

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

8.General comments of the Committee

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

9. 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 397 communications are pending before the Committee as of 11 December 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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