Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Ninety-fifth session

Summary record (partial)* of the 2644th meeting

Held at the Palais Wilson, Geneva, on Friday, 11 May 2018, at 3 p.m.

Chair: Mr. Amir

Contents

Closure of the session

The discussion covered in the summary record began at 4.05 p.m.

Closure of the session

The Chair said that, at its ninety-fifth session, the Committee had welcomed five new members — Mr. Albuquerque e Silva, Ms. Chung, Mr. Diaby, Ms. Izsák-Ndiaye and Ms. Ko — who had already made a valuable contribution to its work. The Committee had reviewed the periodic reports of six States parties, which had involved engaging in constructive dialogues with State party delegations and cooperating with civil society organizations, whose significant input had been gratefully received. The concluding observations relating to those reports had been adopted and would be published on the Committee’s web page. Nine follow-up reports had been reviewed and the suggestions made in that connection would also be published in due course.

The Working Group on Early Warning Measures and Urgent Action Procedures had been active during the session, and its work had led to the Committee adopting a decision concerning the Philippines and a statement addressed to Israel, both of which had been made available on the Committee’s web page. The Working Group on Individual Communications had met regularly throughout the session and had been strengthened by the incorporation of two new members, namely, Mr. Albuquerque e Silva and Ms. Ko.

In a first for any of the human rights treaty bodies, the Committee had considered three inter-State communications, which had been submitted under article 11 of the Convention by Qatar and the State of Palestine. The communications had been brought to the attention of the States against which they had been filed, namely, Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The Committee had also adopted its annual report, which would be submitted to the General Assembly at its seventy-third session. In that connection, he wished to thank Ms. Izsák-Ndiaye, who had been responsible for the report in her role as Rapporteur, and Ms. Shepherd, who had been appointed as the Committee’s focal point for Trust and Non-Self-Governing Territories and all other Territories to which General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) applied, in conformity with article 15 of the Convention.

Lastly, the Committee had discussed possible improvements to its working methods, an exercise that had been particularly useful in the build-up to the thirtieth annual meeting of the Chairs of the human rights treaty bodies, which he would be chairing.

After the customary exchange of courtesies, he declared the ninety-fifth session of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination closed.

The meeting rose at 4.25 p.m.