Twenty-s event h meeting of chairpersons of the human rights treaty bodies
San José, 22–26 June 2015
Item 2 of the provisional agenda
Adoption of the agenda
Provisional agenda and annotations
Note by the Secretary-General
1.The twenty-seventh annual meeting of chairpersons of the human rights treaty bodies will be held from 22 to 26 June 2015, pursuant to General Assembly resolution 49/178 of 23 December 1994on effective implementation of international instruments on human rights, including reporting obligations under international instruments on human rights.
2.The present document contains the provisional agenda and annotations for the annual meeting.
Provisional agenda
1.Opening of the meeting and election of officers.
2.Adoption of the agenda.
3.Organizational matters:
(a) Adoption of the programme of work;
(b) Update by the Chairperson of the twenty-sixthannual meeting of chairpersons;
(c)Statement by the Chairperson of the twenty-seventhannual meeting of chairpersons;
(d) Statement by a representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
4.Follow-up to General Assembly resolution 68/268 on strengthening and enhancing the effective functioning of the human rights treaty body system and to the conclusions and recommendations of the twenty-sixth meeting of chairpersons:
(a)General discussion, including on the Secretary-General’s progress report mandated by resolution 68/268;
(b)Update on the guidelines on the independence and impartiality of members of the human rights treatybodies;
(c)Consultation process for the preparation of general comments;
(d)Reporting compliance by States;
(e)Briefing on the OHCHRtreaty body capacity-building programme;
(f)Discussion and adoption of draft guidelines on reprisals;
(g)Update on the post-2015 development agenda.
5.Human Rights panel.
6.Consultationsin Costa Rica:
(a)Consultations with national authorities and human rights structures;
(b)Consultations with the inter-American human rights mechanisms;
(c)Consultations with the diplomatic community;
(d)Consultations with civil-society organizations, national human rights institutions and United Nations entities and specialized agencies.
7.Other matters.
8.Adoption of the report and identification of the venue for the twenty-eighth meeting of chairpersons.
Annotations
1. Opening of the m eeting and election of officers
The meeting will convene in San José on Monday, 22 June 2015 at 10 a.m. It will elect its Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson, based on the principle of rotation among chairpersons.
2. Adoption of the agenda
The meeting will adopt its agenda on the basis of the provisional agenda contained in the present document.
3. Organizational matters
(a) Adoption of the programme of work
The meeting will consider and adopt a programme of work.
(b) Update by the Chairperson of the twenty-sixth annual meeting of chairpersons
The meeting will hear an update from the Chairperson of the twenty-sixthmeeting on relevant developments since that meeting.
(c) Statement by the Chairperson of the twenty-seventh annual meeting of chairpersons
A statement will be made by the chairperson of the twenty-seventh meeting.
(d) Statement by a representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
A statement will be made by a representative of OHCHR.
4 . Follow-up to General Assembly resolution 68/268 on strengthening and enhancing the effective functioning of the human rights treaty body system and to the conclusions and recommendations of the twenty-sixth meeting of c hairpersons
(a) General discussion , including on the Secretary-General’s progress report mandated by resolution 68/268
In its resolution 68/268, the General Assemblyencouraged the human rights treaty bodies, with a view to accelerating the harmonization of the treaty body system, to continue to enhance the role of their chairs in relation to procedural matters, including with respect to formulating conclusions on issues related to working methods and procedural mattersand to promptly generalizing good practices and methodologies among all treaty bodies, ensuring coherence across the treaty bodies and standardizing working methods.
At their twenty-sixth meeting, the chairpersons welcomed the encouragement given by the General Assembly and expressed the commitment of the human rights treaty bodies to further developing their work as a system by continuing to review practices relating to the application of rules of procedure and working methods in their ongoing efforts towards strengthening and enhancing the effective functioning of the treaty bodies.
Under this agenda item, the chairpersons will discuss the impact of the resolution on their respective treaty bodies and the follow-upby the treaty bodies to recommendations made by the chairpersons at the twenty-sixth meeting regarding the simplified reporting procedure, the constructive dialogue and the concluding observations. The meeting will have before it a note by the Secretariat on the follow-up by individual treaty bodies to the recommendations in these areas by the chairpersons at their 26th meeting.
(b) Update on the g uidelines on the independence and impartiality of members of the human rights treaty bo dies
At their twenty-fourth meeting, the chairpersons endorsed the guidelines on independence and impartiality of members of the human rights treaty bodies (the Addis Ababa guidelines). In addition, they strongly recommended that the guidelines be promptly adopted by the respective treaty bodies, inter alia, through their inclusion, in an appropriate manner, in the rules of procedure.
In its resolution 68/268, the General Assembly encouraged the treaty bodies to implement theguidelinesin accordance with their mandates, and invited the chairpersons to keep States parties updated on their implementation.
(c) Consultation process for the preparation of general comments
As agreed during the twenty-sixth meeting of chairpersons, participants will consider the possible alignment of the consultation process for the preparation of general comments. The meeting will have before it a note by the secretariat ontreaty bodies’ consultation processes for the preparation of general comments.
(d) Reporting compliance by States
Under this standing agenda item of the annual meeting of chairpersons, participants will review the status of reporting compliance by States parties. The meeting will have before it a note by the secretariat on reporting compliance by States parties to the human rights treaty bodies.
(e) Briefing on the treaty body c apacity-building programme of the Office of the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights
As requested during the twenty-sixth meeting of chairpersons, the chairpersons will be briefed on the capacity-building programme as requested by the General Assembly in resolution 68/268, paragraphs 17 to 20, and implemented by OHCHR.
(f) Discussion and adoption of draft guidelines on reprisals
At their twenty-sixth meeting, the chairpersons decided to develop, and to adopt at their twenty-seventh meeting,a joint treaty body policy against reprisals. The meeting will have before it a note by the secretariat on mechanisms and practices to address reprisals against individuals and groups engaging with the United Nations human rights mechanisms.
(g) Update on the p ost-2015 d evelopment a genda
As requested at their twenty-sixth meeting, the chairpersons will review developments related to the post-2015 development agenda.
5 . Human Rights p anel
Under this agenda item, the chairpersons will participate in a seminar organized by the Inter-American Institute on Human Rights, San José, on (a) cooperation with the Inter-American System for the protection of human rightsand on (b) reprisals.
6 . C onsultations in Costa Rica
(a) C onsultations with national authorities and human rights structures
The chairpersons will hold consultations with the authorities and human rights bodies of Costa Rica. Topicsfor discussion may includethe engagement of Costa Rica with the international human rights treaty bodies, the implementation of Assembly resolution 68/268, as well as the review mandated in paragraph 41 of that resolution to ensure the sustainability of the measures taken, and possible further action to strengthen and enhance the effective functioning of the human rights treaty body system.
(b) C onsultations with the i nter-A merican human rights mechanisms
The chairpersons will hold meetings with the regional human rights mechanisms with a view to enhancing synergies between international and regional human rights mechanisms and institutions, as well as with their stakeholders. Topics for discussion may include individual complaints as well as the national implementation of recommendations and decisions emanating from international and regional mechanisms.
( c ) C onsultations with the diplomatic community
The chairpersons will raise awareness of the work of the international human rights treaty bodies. Topics for discussion may include reporting challenges and follow-up at national level to the concluding observations from the treaty bodies.
( d ) C onsultations with civil - society organizations , national human rights institutions and U nited Nations entities and specialized agencies
Topics for discussion with stakeholders based in San José may include ways and means of strengthening their engagement with the treaty bodies in the course of the State party review, as well as the role of civil society and the United Nations system in follow-up by States to the recommendations from the international human rights treaty bodies at national level.
7 . Other matters
The chairpersons will discuss any other matters relating to the work of treaty bodies, as considered necessary.
8 . Adoption of the report and identification of the location for the twenty-eighth meeting of the c hairpersons of the human rights treaty bodies
The chairpersons will adopt a report on their meeting, including conclusions and recommendations to be submitted to the General Assembly at its seventieth session.
The chairpersons will further identify the location of their twenty-eighth meeting,in 2016,which, as recommended at their twenty-sixth meeting,should alternate between Geneva, New York and the regions.