Credit: CIDH
In October, several universal and regional human rights bodies and experts will assess States’ compliance with their human rights obligations through the consideration of State and civil society reports, interactive dialogues, country visits, seminars, and hearings. Five UN treaty bodies will meet throughout October to assess States’ compliance with their treaty obligations related to civil and political rights; economic, social, and cultural rights; elimination of discrimination against women; the prevention of torture; and the rights of the child. The Social Forum of the UN Human Rights Council will be in session, and the UN Human Rights Council will also host thematic panel discussions, seminars, and working group discussions on climate change, migrants, and persons displaced across international borders; transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights; and the implementation of effective safeguards to prevent torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment during police custody. One working group will be in session on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice, and eight other special procedures mandate holders will conduct country visits. Regionally, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR), the European Committee on Social Rights (ECSR), and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) will be in session.
The UN Human Rights Council’s and UN treaty bodies’ sessions can be watched via UN Web TV. The IACHR’s session can be watched on its YouTube channel, and the IACtHR’s session may be viewed on its website or Vimeo page. The ECtHR hearings can be viewed on its webcast.
To view human rights bodies’ past and future activities, visit the IJRC Hearings & Sessions Calendar.
Human Rights Committee 121st Session
The UN Human Rights Committee will hold its 121st Session from October 16 to November 10, 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland. According to the planned programme of work, the Human Rights Committee will consider the State reports of Australia, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, Jordan, Mauritius, and Romania. The Human Rights Committee will also consider the country situations of the Gambia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the absence of a State report. After considering reports from States and civil society, the Human Rights Committee will later issue concluding observations on each State under review, noting challenges and positive developments.
Additionally, the Human Rights Committee’s task forces will consider and adopt lists of issues for Algeria, Bahrain, and Laos. The States’ responses to lists of issues will be posted on the Committee’s webpage. The Committee will also adopt lists of issues prior to reporting as part of the simplified reporting procedure for Japan. The simplified reporting procedure allows States to use answers to lists of issues to fulfill their reporting requirement. The Human Rights Committee will consider communications on individual complaints alleging violations of the International Covenant on Civil Political Rights (ICCPR).
According to the programme of work, the Human Rights Committee will also discuss the draft general comment on Article 6; hear from nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), national human rights institutions (NHRIs), and UN organizations and agencies; and consider follow-up on concluding observations.
According to the NGO Information Note, civil society members wishing to attend the Committee’s session must register online by October 6, 2017. Information on the States parties under review during this session needed to be submitted by September 8, 2017.
Comments on the draft general comment on Article 6 of the ICCPR are due by October 6, 2017. All stakeholders, including Member States, other UN and regional human rights mechanisms, UN organizations or specialized agencies, NHRIs, NGOs, research institutions, and academics are invited to provide their comments in writing. Submissions should be completed in English, French, or Spanish and submitted to [email protected]. For further information on submitting a comment, please see the website for the draft comment.
The Human Rights Committee is a body of independent experts that monitors the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) by its States parties. States parties are obligated to submit periodic reports to the Committee on implementation of the convention, typically every four years.
To view session documents, including State reports, alternative reports from civil society, and information for NGOs and NHRIs, visit the 121st Session webpage. For more information on the Human Rights Committee, visit IJRC’s website.
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 62nd Session and 61st Pre-Sessional Working Group
62nd Session
The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) will continue its 62nd Session through October 6, 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland. According to the programme of work, the CESCR examined the State reports of Colombia, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Russia, and Mexico earlier in September. The Committee will issue concluding observations on each of those States later, noting challenges and positive developments in implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). During the remainder of the session, the Committee will hold closed discussions.
CESCR is a body of independent experts that monitors the implementation of the ICESCR. States parties are obligated to submit periodic reports to the Committee on implementation of the convention, typically every four years.
To view session documents, including State reports and civil society’s alternative reports, visit the 62nd Session webpage. For more information on the CESCR, visit IJRC’s website.
61st Session Pre-Sessional Working Group
CESCR will hold its 61st Pre-Sessional Working Group from October 9 to October 13, 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland. According to the programme of work, the Committee will consider the reports of Argentina, Germany, South Africa, and Turkmenistan, and will adopt lists of issues prior to the full Committee’s consideration of the States’ reports at a later session. Participation in the meeting is by invitation only.
To view session documents, including State reports, civil society’s alternative reports, and the Information Note for civil society, visit the 61st Pre-Sessional Working Group webpage.
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women 68th Session
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW Committee) will hold its 68th Session from October 23 through November 17, 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland. According to the programme of work and the agenda, the Committee will review the State reports of Burkina Faso, Singapore, Paraguay, Nauru, Israel, Kuwait, Kenya, Norway, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Monaco, Oman, and Guatemala. The Committee will later issue concluding observations on each State under review, noting positive developments and challenges to implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). According to the programme of work, the CEDAW Committee will also hold meetings with non-governmental organizations, national human rights institutions, and UN agencies.
According to Committee’s information for civil society, NGOs must submit written submissions by October 2, 2017. Written submissions should be submitted electronically using Word to [email protected] and should include the NGO’s name, the State party to which the information relates, and whether the information can be published on the CEDAW Committee’s webpage. The word limit for submissions is 3,300 words. NGOs may also provide information on States parties under review orally during the session. NGOs should bring 25 copies of their oral statements. Accreditation for the public events can be made through the Indico system.
The CEDAW Committee is a body of independent experts that monitors the implementation of CEDAW. States parties are obligated to submit periodic reports to the Committee on implementation of the convention, typically every four years.
To view session documents, including State reports, civil society alternative reports, and information on civil society participation, visit the 68th Session webpage. For more information on the CEDAW Committee, visit IJRC’s website.
Committee Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment 16th Meeting of States Parties
The Committee Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT) will hold its 16th Meeting of the States parties on October 5, 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland. According to the provisional agenda, the purpose of the meeting is to hold elections to replace the five current members of the Committee whose terms are set to expire on December 31, 2017. The CAT monitors the implementation of the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (Convention Against Torture).
The CAT is a body of independent experts that monitors the Convention Against Torture. More information on the election can be found on the webpage for the 16th Meeting of States parties.
Committee on the Rights of the Child Pre-Sessional Working Group 78th Session
The Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) will hold its 78th Pre-sessional Working Group from October 2 to 6, 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland. The Committee will consider the State reports of Angola, Argentina, Lesotho, Montenegro, and Norway. The Committee will also consider the State Report of Angola on implementation of the Optional Protocol to the Convention of the Rights of the child on the sale of children, child prostitution and pornography (OP-CRC-SC), and will consider the reports of Algeria and Angola on implementation of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict (OP-CRC-AC). At CRC’s pre-sessional working group sessions, the Working Group adopts lists of issues for each State to respond to before the full Committee reviews their reports at a later session.
The CRC monitors the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the OP-CRC-SC, and OP-CRC-AC. To view session documents, including State reports, please visit the 78th Pre-Sessional Working Group webpage. For more information on the Committee on the Rights of the Child, visit IJRC’s website.
UN Human Rights Council
Social Forum
This year’s Social Forum will take place from October 2 to 4, 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland. This year the theme will be “the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic and other communicable diseases and epidemics.” See OHCHR, The Social Forum of the Human Rights Council.
The Social Forum is an annual three-day meeting held by the UN Human Rights Council. It is described as “a unique space for open and interactive dialogue between civil society actors, representatives of Member States, and intergovernmental organizations.” See OHCHR, The Social Forum of the Human Rights Council. Discussions are centered around a particular theme, as selected by the UN Human Rights Council each year.
Civil society organizations and individuals wishing to attend the 2017 Social Forum needed to register by September 22, 2017 through the online request for registration. This year’s agenda and background documents can be found on the 2017 Social Forum webpage.
Open-ended Intergovernmental Working Group on Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with Respect to Human Rights 3rd Session
The Open-ended Intergovernmental Working Group on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights (OEIWG) will hold its 3rd Session from October 23 to 27, 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland. The purpose of the meeting is to have substantive negotiations on the draft of the legally binding instrument on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights, created from considerations raised in the previous two sessions.
Accreditation is by request through UNOG’s Indico System. Only UN Member and Observer States, specialized agencies and other international organizations, national human rights institutions with “A status” accreditation, and NGOs with ECOSOC consultative status may attend and participate in the public meetings of OEIGWG. However, other NGOs and individuals may be able to access the public gallery or side events if they register through UNOG’s Indico system.
Intergovernmental Working Group on the effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action 15th Session
The Intergovernmental Working Group on the effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action will hold its 15th Session from October 5 to October 14, 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland. According to the programme of work, the session will cover the report of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance, as well as the report of the UN Secretary General on implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent.
For more information, visit the Working Group’s documents page.
UN Special Procedures
In October, eight UN special procedures mandate holders and a working group will conduct country visits, and one working group will hold sessions in Geneva, Switzerland.
The Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief will visit Uzbekistan from October 2 to 12, 2017.
The Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes will visit Denmark from October 2 to October 13, 2017.
The Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers will visit Poland from October 23 to October 27, 2017.
The Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health will visit Armenia from September 25 to October 5, 2017.
The Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent will visit Guyana from October 2 to October 6, 2017.
The Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities will visit France from October 3 to October 13, 2017.
Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence will visit Sri Lanka from October 10 to October 23, 2017.
The Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation will visit India from October 30 to November 10, 2017.
The Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice will hold its 20th Session from October 9 to 13, 2017 in Geneva, Switzerland. The session is closed to the public.
During their country visits, these independent experts will assess both the overall human rights situation in the country and issues specific to their thematic focus. Experts also meet with civil society, government, and national human rights institutions when they visit a country. Their findings are published later in reports addressed to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly. See OHCHR, Country and other visits of special procedures.
To view the full list of forthcoming country visits, visit the OHCHR website. For more information on each special procedure, visit IJRC’s website.
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights 165th Ordinary Period of Sessions
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) will hold its 165th Ordinary Period of Sessions from October 23 to 27, 2017 in Montevideo, Uruguay. The IACHR will hold public thematic and merits hearings addressing matters involving all Member States except for the United States and Canada. [IACHR Press Release] The schedule of hearings will be posted on the IACHR’s website.
The IACHR is the principal human rights organ of the Organization of American States. The IACHR promotes and protects human rights in the Members States of the Organization of American States through the individual petition system, monitoring human rights situations in Member States, and devoting attention to priority thematic areas. The IACHR will generally hold thematic and contentious hearings twice a year. For more information on the IACHR, visit IJRC’s website.
Inter-American Court of Human Rights 58th Extraordinary Session
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) will hold its 58th Extraordinary Session from October 16 to October 20, 2017 in Panama City, Panama. According to the webpage for the 58th Extraordinary Session, the session will focus on three contentious public hearings in cases against Nicaragua, Colombia, and Chile on the topics of sexual assault, extrajudicial killings, and failure to investigate a death allegedly caused by poor medical treatment, respectively.
Hearings in the case of VRP and VPC v. Nicaragua will be held on October 16 to 17, 2017. In its merits decision in the case, the IACHR found that Nicaragua violated the rights to personal integrity, dignity, private life and autonomy, and equality and non-discrimination because the State failed to investigate with due diligence and a gender-sensitive approach an alleged sexual violation of an underage girl. The Commission took the case to the Court in August 2016. [IACHR Press Release]
Hearings in the case of Villamizar Durán and others v. Colombia will be held on October 17 to 18, 2017. In its merits report, the IACHR found that Colombia violated the rights to dignity, personal integrity, and liberty because Colombian State forces killed the six victims named in the case as part of a pattern of killing ordinary citizens to then falsely report that the deceased were unlawful guerillas killed during military operations. The IACHR took the case to the Court in April 2016. [IACHR Press Release; IJRC]
The hearing in the case of Poblete Vilches and others v. Chile will be held on October 19, 2017. In its merits report, the IACHR found that Chile violated the rights to judicial guarantees and judicial protection because the State failed to investigate with due diligence the death of Poblete Vilches after his family alleged that he was subject to torture or cruel treatment and that the hospital in which he received care acted negligently resulting in his death. [IACHR Press Release]
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has jurisdiction to hear cases brought against a Member State of the Organization of American States that has accepted the Court’s jurisdiction under Article 62 of the American Convention on Human Rights. There are 20 OAS members that have opted into the IACtHR’s contentious jurisdiction, which are Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, and Uruguay. The cases reviewed by the Court are always first processed by the Commission. The Court may also issue advisory opinions. See IJRC, Inter-American System.
For more information on the hearings, visit the webpage for the 58th Extraordinary Session. For more information on the IACtHR, visit IJRC’s website.
European Committee of Social Rights 295th Session
The European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) of the Council of Europe will hold its 295th Session from October 16 to October 20, 2017 in Strasbourg, France. The agenda and synopsis of the meeting will be published on the European Committee of Social Right’s calendar.
The ECSR assesses States’ compliance with the European Social Charter, which protects economic and social rights. During its sessions, the ECSR reviews collective complaints, examines national reports, and follows up on the Turin process, which aims to improve implementation of the Charter at the continental level.
According to the ECSR’s calendar for national reporting, it will consider State reports concerning the Charter rights on health, social security, and social protection from France, Greece, Portugal, Italy, Belgium, Bulgaria, Ireland, and Finland throughout the 2017 calendar year. The ECSR will consider simplified reports on the same topic from the Netherlands, Sweden, Croatia, Norway, Slovenia, Cyprus, and the Czech Republic. Simplified reports focus on areas of non-conformity identified in the Committee’s previous conclusions. The Committee adopts and publishes conclusions at the end of the calendar year on each State’s compliance with the relevant provisions of the European Social Charter. The Committee’s conclusions may also include recommendations. See IJRC, European Committee of Social Rights.
The European Committee of Social Rights is a regional human rights body that oversees the protection of certain economic and social rights in most of Europe. In addition to the reporting system, the Committee also receives collective complaints against States on violations of the European Social Charter. Fifteen States have accepted the jurisdiction of the collective complaints procedure. See IJRC, European Committee of Social Rights.
For more information on the European Committee of Social Rights, visit IJRC’s website.
European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights will hold a Grand Chamber hearing on October 18, 2017 in the case of Denisov v. Ukraine. [ECtHR Press Release] The applicant in the case alleges that his dismissal from his post as a judge was in violation of articles 6 and 8 (the rights to fair trial and private life) of the European Convention on Human Rights because an independent and impartial tribunal did not review his dismissal and his private life was affected by the dismissal. The case was relinquished to the Grand Chamber in April 2017. [ECtHR Press Release]
The ECtHR is a regional human rights judicial body based in Strasbourg, France. The Court has jurisdiction to decide complaints alleging violations of the European Convention on Human Rights submitted by individuals and States against States parties to the Convention.
For more information on the European Court, visit the IJRC’s website.
Additional Information
For more information on the UN Human Rights Council; the UN Human Rights Committee; the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women; the Committee Against Torture; the Committee on the Rights of the Child; UN Special Procedures; the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief; the Working Group on the Issue of Discrimination Against Women in Law and Practice; the Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes; the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers; the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent; the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities; the Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence; the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation; the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights; the Inter-American Court of Human Rights; the European Committee of Social Rights; and the European Court of Human Rights, or for upcoming sessions and hearings, visit IJRC’s Online Resource Hub.