Credit: UN Photo/JC McIlwaine
The UN Human Rights Committee is holding its 113th session from March 16 to April 2, to consider the State reports of Cambodia, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Monaco, and Russia on their implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). During the session, representatives from each State will engage in a dialogue with members of the Human Rights Committee regarding the list of issues, which consists of those topics the Committee had previously asked each State to address in its report to the Human Rights Committee. At the conclusion of the review process, the Committee will issue concluding observations for each State, containing its concerns and recommendations on each State’s implementation of the ICCPR. Archived and livestream webcasts of the 113th session can be viewed on UN Treaty Body Webcast.
The Committee’s agenda also includes the review of individual complaints against States parties concerning specific alleged violations of the ICCPR. Additionally, the Special Rapporteur on Follow-up to Concluding Observations and the Special Rapporteur on Follow-up to Views were scheduled to present States’ progress reports to the Committee, describing the measures States have taken to address the Committee’s previous recommendations. This session will also include the adoption of the list of issues for Austria, Benin, Greece, Iraq, South Korea, and Suriname.
Cambodia
The Committee’s list of issues for Cambodia’s review requested additional information concerning the measures Cambodia has adopted to: eliminate discrimination against women, LGBTI persons, Vietnamese individuals, and persons with disabilities; improve prison conditions; guarantee judicial independence and freedom of expression; ensure that elections are transparent and that indigenous peoples can participate in decision-making processes; address the statelessness of ethnic Khmer from the Mekong Delta region in Vietnam and ethnic Vietnamese individuals who do not have documentation showing their identification; and combat human trafficking. The Committee asked Cambodia to comment on: private security guards’ use of excessive force during protests that resulted in multiple deaths; the lack of investigation into the extrajudicial killings of 12 journalists in Cambodia; and the State’s alleged interference with the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia. See Human Rights Committee, List of issues in relation to the second periodic report of Cambodia, UN Doc. CCPR/C/KHM/Q/2, 19 August 2014.
Multiple civil society organizations also submitted reports to the Committee addressing Cambodia’s implementation of the ICCPR, which can be viewed on the session webpage.
Côte d’Ivoire
Regarding Côte d’Ivoire, in its list of issues, the Committee requested information on measures the State has taken to: eliminate discrimination against women, persons with albinism, persons with disabilities, and LGBTI persons; protect individuals from the unlawful deprivation of liberty; reduce the overcrowding of prisons and ensure that prisoners have access to health care; prevent statelessness and protect displaced persons from violence; and enforce the prohibition on human trafficking and child labor. The Committee also requested information on the State’s investigations into extrajudicial executions, including how many convictions were obtained and what punishments were imposed. The Committee asked Côte d’Ivoire to explain what progress has been made by the Dialogue, Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and to indicate whether the State intends to investigate the attack on the Nahibly Camp near Duékoué, and the mass graves at Torgueï and Yopougon. See Human Rights Committee, List of issues in relation to the initial report of Côte d’Ivoire, UN Doc. CCPR/C/CIV/Q/1/Add.1, 12 August 2014.
The session webpage contains reports submitted by several civil society organizations to the Committee addressing Côte d’Ivoire’s implementation of the ICCPR.
Croatia
In advance of its interactive dialogue with Croatia, the Committee requested information concerning the steps taken to ensure that Croatia’s national human rights institution (NHRI) is fully independent, noting that it was merged with the Office of the Ombudsman. The Committee asked Croatia to provide statistics on: the number of hate crimes against Roma people; investigations into reports of domestic violence; complaints of torture and ill-treatment; and investigations into human trafficking cases. The Committee also requested information on investigations into war crimes and crimes against humanity, including those committed during “Operation Storm,” from August to November 1995. The Committee requested additional information on steps that Croatia has taken to: assist internally displaced persons; investigate attacks on journalists; protect the best interests of unaccompanied and migrant children; and ensure that citizenship restrictions do not disadvantage minorities. See Human Rights Committee, List of issues prior to the submission of the third periodic report of Croatia, UN Doc. CCPR/C/HRV/Q/3, 21 August 2012.
Multiple civil society organizations and the NHRI in Croatia submitted reports to the Committee concerning Croatia’s implementation of the ICCPR which are available on the session webpage.
Cyprus
With regard to Cyprus, the Committee’s list of issues included a request for information on measures the State has taken to eradicate discrimination and investigate racially motivated attacks, including the abuse by extremist and neo-Nazi groups against foreigners, Roma people, human rights defenders, and Turkish Cypriots. The Committee asked Cyprus to explain the steps it has taken to investigate: allegations of torture, human trafficking, missing person cases, and reports of domestic violence. The Committee asked Cyprus to comment on the allegation that the State unlawfully detains migrants and asylum seekers for extended periods of time without informing them of their rights. The Committee requested information on steps Cyprus has taken to: develop an agreement with Turkish Cypriot leaders on acceptable crossing points to facilitate the freedom of movement; protect religious freedom and increase access to mosques; protect and restore cultural heritage sites; grant Turkish Cypriots the right to vote; and ensure that minorities have access to education. See Human Rights Committee, List of issues in relation to the fourth periodic report of Cyprus, UN Doc. CCPR/C/CYP/Q/4, 19 August 2014.
According to the session webpage, two civil society organizations, the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International and the International Fellowship of Reconciliation, submitted reports to the Committee concerning Cyprus’s implementation of the ICCPR.
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Monaco
The Committee’s list of issues for Monaco included requests for information concerning the steps it has taken to: increase women’s access to maternal health care information; combat human trafficking and violence against women; create an independent body to address complaints against the media; and modify domestic law to provide victims of torture with compensation. The Committee asked Monaco to comment on its efforts to revise the residency requirement that applies to non-nationals, which restricts access to housing, social welfare, and medical treatment until they have lived in the State for five years. See Human Rights Committee, List of issues prior to the submission of the third periodic report of Monaco, UN Doc. CCPR/C/MCO/Q/3, 28 November 2011.
Two civil society organizations, the Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children and the International Disability Alliance, submitted reports on Monaco’s implementation of the ICCPR to the Committee for its consideration, both of which are available on the session webpage.
Russia
During Russia’s review, the Committee, in its list of issues, requested information on steps Russia has taken to: address discrimination against persons with disabilities, Roma people, women, and LGBTI persons; combat violence against women, including honor killings and bride-kidnapping; guarantee the independence of the courts; address human trafficking; protect individuals exercising their freedom of expression; and investigate allegations of torture. The Committee asked Russia to comment on the harassment and killing of lawyers in the North Caucasus, and the recusal of the Chechen Supreme Court judge who was allegedly instructed not to acquit a defendant by the Chechen Minister for the Interior. Additionally, the Committee requested more information from Russia concerning violations of Crimean residents’ human rights, including: abductions, enforced disappearance, arbitrary detentions, ill-treatment, discrimination, and violations of their religious freedom. See Human Rights Committee, List of issues in relation to the seventh periodic report of the Russian Federation, UN Doc. CCPR/C/RUS/Q/7, 19 August 2014.
Several civil society organizations submitted reports to the Committee concerning Russia’s implementation of the ICCPR. These reports can be downloaded from the session webpage.
Additional Information
See IJRC’s Online Resource Hub for additional information on the mandate and functions of the Human Rights Committee and other UN human rights treaty bodies.