Human Rights Committee
11 3 th session
16 March–2 April 2015
Item 4 of the provisional agenda
Adoption of the agenda
Provisional agenda and annotations
Note by the Secretary-General
The 113th session of the Human Rights Committee will be held at the United Nations Office at Geneva from 16 March to 2 April 2015. The first meeting will be convened (Palais Wilson, ground floor conference room) on Monday, 16 March at 10 a.m.
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 113th session. Annotations to the provisional agenda are also attached.
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.
The attention of States parties is drawn, in particular, to the annotations to item 7, which contains the tentative timetable for the consideration of reports during the 113th 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.
As established under rule 95 of the Committee’s rules of procedure, a working group should meet for a period of one week prior to the 113th session. The pre-sessional working group will meet from 9 to 13 March 2015.
Provisional agenda
1.Opening of the session by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights or the representative of the High Commissioner.
2.Solemn declaration by the newly elected members of the Committee in accordance with article 38 of the Covenant.
3.Election of the 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.Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 40 of the Covenant.
8.Follow-up to concluding observations on State party reports.
9.Follow-up to Views under the Optional Protocol to the Covenant.
10.Consideration of communications under the Optional Protocol to the Covenant.
11.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 the representative of the High Commissioner
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights or the representative of the High Commissioner will open the 113th 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 members of the Committee elected at the thirty-fourth Meeting of States Parties to the Covenant on 24 June 2014 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 the Chairperson and other officers of the Committee
In accordance with article 39, paragraph 1, of the Covenant and rule 17 of the Committee’s 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 provisional agenda for any session shall be the adoption of the agenda, except for the election of officers when required under rule 17 of those rules. 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 and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) represented at the United Nations Office at Geneva. The following meetings have accordingly been scheduled: United Nations organizations and specialized agencies on 16 March, from 10.45 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. and on 23 March from noon to 12.30 p.m.; national human rights institutions and NGOs on the Russian Federation, Cambodia, Côte d’Ivoire and Cyprus on 16 March from 11.30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and national human rights institutions and NGOs on Monaco and Croatia on 23 March from 12.30 p.m. to 1 p.m.
7.Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 40 of the Covenant
The reports to be considered during the 113th session are those of the Russian Federation, Cambodia, Côte d’Ivoire, Cyprus, Croatia and Monaco. A tentative timetable for the consideration of reports during the 113th session, prepared in consultation with the Committee, is given below:
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Timetable for consideration of reports under article 40 of the Covenant |
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Russian Federation |
Seventh periodic report(CCPR/C/RUS/7) |
Monday, 16March, p.m.Tuesday, 17March, a.m. |
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Cambodia |
Second periodic report(CCPR/C/KHM/2) |
Tuesday, 17 March, p.m.Wednesday, 18 March, a.m. |
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Côte d’Ivoire |
Initial report(CCPR/C/CIV/1) |
Wednesday, 18 March, p.m.Thursday, 19 March, a.m. |
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Cyprus |
Fourth periodic report(CCPR/C/CYP/4) |
Thursday, 19March, p.m.Friday, 20March, a.m. |
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Croatia |
Third periodic report(CCPR/C/HRV/3) |
Monday, 23March, p.m.Tuesday, 24March, a.m. |
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Monaco |
Third periodic report(CCPR/C/MCO/3) |
Tuesday, 24 March, p.m.Wednesday, 25March, 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 113th session.
Country report task forces will examine and adopt lists of issues on the reports of Austria, Benin, Greece, Iraq, the Republic of Korea and Suriname. A country report task force will examine and adopt a list of issues on the implementation of the Covenant in Bangladesh in the absence of a report.
8.Follow-up to concluding observations on State reports
The Special Rapporteur and Deputy Rapporteur for follow-up on concluding observations will provide a progress report on their activities.
9.Follow-up to Views under the Optional Protocol to the Covenant
The Special Rapporteur for follow-up on Views will 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 508 communications were pending before the Committee as at 1 December 2014.
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.