Fifth Inter-Committee Meeting of the human rights treaty bodiesGeneva, 19-21 June 2006

PROVISIONAL AGENDA AND ANNOTATIONS

Note by the Secretary-General

1.The fifth Inter-Committee Meeting of the human rights treaty bodies will be held from 19 to 21 June 2006, pursuant to a recommendation of the chairpersons of the human rights treaty bodies made during their seventeenth meeting held on 23 and 24 June 2005.

2.The present document contains the provisional agenda and annotations for the fifth Inter‑Committee Meeting.

PROVISIONAL AGENDA

1.Opening of the meeting and report of the Chairperson of the fourth Inter-Committee Meeting on the implementation of its recommendations.

2.Election of officers.

3.Adoption of the agenda.

4.Organizational matters.

5.Follow-up to the recommendations of the fourth Inter-Committee Meeting.

6.Enhancing the effectiveness of the treaty bodies: a coordinated approach to the work of the treaty bodies.

7.Enhancing the effectiveness of the treaty bodies: streamlining reporting requirements.

8.Statistical information related to human rights

9.Meeting with United Nations specialized agencies, funds, programmes and other entities.

10.Meeting with non-governmental organizations.

11.Adoption of the report.

ANNOTATIONS

Item 1. Opening of the meeting and election of officers and report of the Chairperson of the fourth Inter-Committee Meeting on the implementation of its recommendations

The meeting will convene at the United Nations Office at Geneva (Palais Wilson) on Monday, 19 June 2006, at 10 a.m. In accordance with the recommendation of the seventeenth meeting of chairpersons, a report by the chairperson-rapporteur of the fourth Inter-Committee Meeting, Mr. Fernando Mariño Menendez, on implementation of the recommendations will be presented, prior to the election of a new Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson.

Item 2: Election of officers

The meeting will elect aChairperson and a Vice-Chairperson.

Item 3. Adoption of the agenda

The meeting will adopt its agenda on the basis of the provisional agenda contained in the present document.

Item 4. Organizational matters

Under this agenda item, the meeting will consider and adopt a programme of work.

Item 5. Follow-up to the recommendations of the fourth Inter-Committee Meeting

Participants will consider follow-up to the recommendations of the fourth Inter‑Committee Meeting, held from 20 to 22 June 2005. A report by the secretariat on implementation of the recommendations of the fourth Inter-Committee meeting and the seventeenth meeting of chairpersons of human rights treaty bodies (HRI/MC/2006/6), which provides information on the follow-up actions taken by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Division for the Advancement of Women and the treaty bodies with regard to these recommendations, will be provided to participants.

Item 6. Enhancing the effectiveness of the treaty bodies: a coordinated approach to the work of the treaty bodies

Under this agenda item, the participants will discuss the working methods of treaty bodies, including coordination and possibilities for harmonization. The meeting will consider the concept paper on the High Commissioner’s proposal for a unified standing treaty body (HRI/MC/2006/2). The meeting will also have before it a report on the working methods of the human rights treaty bodies (HRI/MC/2006/4) and the working paper of the meeting of the working group on reservations which met on 8 and 9 June 2006 (HRI/MC/2006/5).

Item 7. Enhancing the effectiveness of the treaty bodies: streamlining reporting requirements.

Under this agenda item, strengthening support to, and enhancing the effectiveness of, the treaty bodies and streamlining treaty body reporting procedures and requirements will be considered. The meeting will consider revised draft harmonized reporting guidelines, including guidelines on a common core document prepared by the technical working group of representatives of experts of each committee at their meetings on 8 to 9 December 2005 and 15 to 17 February 2006 (HRI/MC/2006/3).

Item 8. Statistical information relating to human rights

Under this agenda item, participants will consider a background paper on the possible uses of indicators (HRI/MC/2006/7) prepared at the request of the seventeenth meeting of the chaipersons of human rights treaty bodies.

Item 9. Meeting with the United Nations specialized agencies, funds and programmes and other entities

Under this item, United Nations departments, specialized agencies, funds and programmes, and other entities such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union, that work with the treaty bodies will discuss the reform of the United Nations system, including the High Commissioner’s proposal for a unified standing treaty body.

Item 10. Meeting with non-governmental organizations

Under this agenda item, non-governmental organizations will provide information on interaction with human rights treaty bodies, and their views on efforts to reform the treaty body system, including the High Commissioner’s proposal for a unified standing treaty body.

Item 11. Adoption of the report

Participants will adopt a report on their meeting, including conclusions and recommendations which will be transmitted to the eighteenth meeting of chairpersons of human rights treaty bodies, to be held in Geneva on 22 to 23 June 2006.

-----