Credit: CorteIDH
In the month of April, several universal and regional bodies will assess States’ compliance with their human rights obligations through interactive dialogues, the consideration of State and civil society reports, country visits, and the review of individual complaints. Four United Nations treaty bodies will meet throughout April to engage with States regarding their treaty obligations related to civil and political rights, economic and cultural rights, torture, racial discrimination, and migrant workers. One treaty body will meet as a pre-sessional working group to discuss economic, social, and cultural rights. Further, civil society can register this month to participate in the sessions of two treaty bodies that will meet in May on children’s rights and enforced disappearances, respectively. Eleven UN special procedures experts will conduct country visits focusing on minority issues, freedom of religion or belief, extreme poverty, torture and inhuman treatment, safe drinking water and sanitation, violence against women, the use of mercenaries, international solidarity, older persons, human rights defenders, and racial discrimination. Three working groups will hold sessions on the use of mercenaries, enforced disappearances, and arbitrary detention.
Regionally, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) will all be in session. The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) will hear two cases related to the right to liberty and security and the prohibition of cruel or inhuman treatment.
The UN treaty body sessions and the public hearings of the European Court and Inter-American Court may be watched via UN Web TV, the European Court’s website, and the Inter-American Commission’s website or Vimeo, respectively. To view human rights bodies’ past and future activities, visit the IJRC Hearings & Sessions Calendar.
Human Rights Committee 122nd Session
The Human Rights Committee will continue its 122nd Session in Geneva, Switzerland. The session began on March 12 and will end on April 6, 2018. According to the programme of work, in March the Human Rights Committee reviewed State reports from El Salvador, Guatemala, Hungary, Lebanon, Liberia, and Norway. 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 in implementing the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
Additionally, the Human Rights Committee’s task forces will consider and adopt lists of issues for Belize, Guinea, and Sudan. 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 Botswana, Tunisia, and Uruguay. The simplified reporting procedure allows States to use answers to lists of issues to fulfill their reporting requirement. In closed session, the Committee will also consider communications on individual complaints alleging violations of the ICCPR.
According to the NGO Information Note, civil society members wishing to attend the Committee’s session must have registered for accreditation by March 2, 2018 through the session’s page on the Indico system. Information on the States parties under review during this session needed to be submitted by February 12, 2017.
To view session documents, including State reports, alternative reports from civil society, and information for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), visit the 122nd Session webpage. For more information on the Human Rights Committee, visit IJRC’s Online Resource Hub.
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 62nd Pre-Sessional Working Group
The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) will hold its 62nd Pre-Sessional Working Group in Geneva, Switzerland from April 3 through April 6, 2018. The CESCR will consider the reports of Cameroon, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Mauritius, and Slovakia, and will adopt lists of issues prior to the full Committee’s consideration of the States’ reports at a later session. The meeting is closed, but civil society organizations wishing to participate may send the name of their organization, names of the representatives, and proposed dates of attendance to the CESCR Secretariat to gain prior approval and passes to enter to the United Nations. This information must be sent at least 10 days prior to the beginning of the pre-session.
Further, according to the information note for NGOs, civil society organizations that are interested in submitting written information must email their submissions in Word format to the CESCR Secretariat no later than eight weeks before the event at: [email protected].
To view session documents, including the session’s information note, State party reports, and information for civil society, visit the 62nd Pre-Sessional Working Group webpage. For more information on the CESCR, visit IJRC’s Online Resource Hub.
Committee Against Torture 63rd Session
The Committee Against Torture (CAT) will hold its 63rd Session in Geneva, Switzerland from April 23 through May 18, 2018. According to the programme of work and the provisional agenda, the CAT will review the State reports of Belarus, Czech Republic, Norway, Qatar, Senegal, and Tajikistan. After considering the State reports, the CAT will at a later date issue concluding observations on each State, noting the positive developments and challenges to implementation of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The CAT will also adopt lists of issues prior to reporting for Andorra, Azerbaijan, Denmark, Jordan, Liechtenstein, and Thailand. These States’ responses to lists of issues prior to reporting constitute their State report to the CAT under the simplified reporting procedure.
According to the programme of work, the CAT will hold private meetings with civil society. Each scheduled meeting with NGOs corresponds to a single country under review. Civil society members wishing to attend the Committee’s session must register for accreditation through the Indico system by May 18, 2018.
To view the session documents, including State reports, visit the 63rd Session webpage. For more information on the CAT, visit IJRC’s Online Resource Hub.
Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 95th Session
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) will hold its 95th Session in Geneva, Switzerland from April 23 through May 11, 2018. According to the provisional agenda and programme of work, the CERD will review the State reports of Kyrgyzstan, Mauritania, Nepal, Peru, Saudi Arabia, and Sweden. After reviewing the States’ reports and civil society alternative reports, the CERD will issue concluding observations at a later date, noting challenges to and positive developments in implementing the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The CERD will also adopt a list of issues prior to reporting for Botswana under the simplified reporting procedure. The simplified reporting procedure allows States to use answers to lists of issues to fulfill their reporting requirement.
According to the NGO Information Note, civil society submissions, including alternative reports, should have been submitted by March 30, 2018 for this session. Additionally, to attend the session, civil society members should have registered through the session’s page on the Indico system by March 30, 2018. NGOs may attend the sessions with delegations, but may not make statements during sessions with States under review. However, NGOs may organize informal meetings to present to Committee members. NHRIs not accredited by the Human Rights Council may also attend but not speak at the sessions; they too may hold informal meetings with Committee members.
To view the session documents, including State reports, visit the 95th Session webpage. For more information on the CERD, visit IJRC’s Online Resource Hub.
Committee on Migrant Workers 28th Session
The Committee on Migrant Workers (CMW) will hold its 28th Session in Geneva, Switzerland from April 9 through April 20, 2018. The CMW will review the State reports of Algeria, Guyana, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines to assess their implementation of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. After reviewing the States’ reports and civil society alternative reports, the CMW will issue concluding observations at a later date, noting challenges to and positive developments in implementing the Convention. The CMW will consider and adopt lists of issues prior to reporting for Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Rwanda. These States’ responses to lists of issues prior to reporting constitute their State report to the CMW under the simplified reporting procedure.
According to the provisional agenda, the CMW will discuss its methods of work and harmonization of treaty body working methods. The CMW will also consider its involvement in initiatives to promote the Convention, and will adopt its annual report to the General Assembly.
According to the information note for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and NHRIs, CSOs and NHRIs may give oral briefings on the States under review during the session. These briefings will be held on April 9, 2018. The CMW asks that CSOs and NHRIs limit their oral statements to 10 minutes or less and to bring five copies of their statements at least 15 minutes prior to the meeting for interpretation purposes. CSOs and NHRIs should also email an electronic version of their statements in Word format to: [email protected]. It is possible to provide a briefing through video-conferencing. Interested CSOs and NHRIs should contact the CMW secretariat in advance. All written submissions must have reached the Secretariat of the Committee no later than March 19, 2018.
To view session documents, including the programme of work and the agenda, State party reports, and information from civil society, visit the 28th Session webpage. For more information on the CMW, visit IJRC’s Online Resource Hub.
Treaty Bodies in Session Next Month
In May, the following treaty bodies will be in session:
The Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED) will hold its 14th Session from May 22 to June 1. Civil Society organizations wanting to attend the session must register by May 17 through the Indico system. For more information on the CED, visit IJRC’s Online Resource Hub.
The Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) will hold its 78th Session from May 14 to June 1. Civil Society organizations wanting to attend the session must register by June 1 through the Indico system. For more information on the CRC, visit IJRC’s Online Resource Hub.
Special Procedures
Various UN special procedures have activities scheduled for April. Eight special rapporteurs, two independent experts, and one working group will carry out country visits this month, while three other working groups will hold private sessions in Geneva, Switzerland.
The Special Rapporteur on minority issues will visit Slovenia from April 5 through April 13, 2018.
The Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief will visit Tunisia from April 9 through April 19, 2018.
The Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights will visit Ghana from April 9 through April 18, 2018.
The Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment will visit Argentina from April 9 through April 20, 2018.
The Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation will visit Mongolia from April 9 through April 20, 2018.
The Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences will visit Canada from April 11 through April 23, 2018.
The Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination will visit Chad from April 16 through April 23, 2018.
The Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity will visit Sweden from April 23 through April 27, 2018.
The Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons will visit Montenegro from April 23 through April 30, 2018.
The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders will visit Honduras from April 29 through May 12, 2018.
The Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance will visit the United Kingdom from April 30 through May 11, 2018.
The Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination will hold its 33rd Session in Geneva, Switzerland from April 3 through April 6, 2018.
The Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances will hold its 115th Session in Geneva, Switzerland from April 23 through May 2, 2018.
The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention will hold its 81st Session in Geneva, Switzerland from April 17 through April 26, 2018.
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 will also meet with civil society, State officials, 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 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 Online Resource Hub.
African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights 62nd Ordinary Session
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) will hold its 62nd Ordinary Session from April 25 through May 9, 2018 in Banjul, the Gambia. The session will cover the human rights situation in Africa, various panel discussions, reports from the special mechanisms of the ACHPR, and the consideration of State periodic reports. The State reports under review are Angola, Eritrea, Nigeria, and Togo. After reviewing States’ reports, the Commission will issue concluding observations and make recommendations to ensure further compliance with the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
NGOs, individuals, and NHRIs are invited to attend and participate in the session. To participate, a NGO must have observer status with the ACHPR and must submit the Preliminary Registration Form by April 10, 2018 to the ACHPR Secretariat.
The ACHPR is a regional body in Africa that generally holds two ordinary sessions per year, although it may also decide to hold additional extraordinary sessions. It reviews State compliance with the African Charter through its reporting procedure, assessment of individual complaints, fact-finding and promotional missions to States, and monitoring.
To view the session’s invitation to NGOs, invitation to NHRIs, and information for participants, visit the session’s website. For more information on the ACHPR, visit IJRC’s Online Resource Hub.
Inter-American Court of Human Rights 123rd Session
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) will hold its 123rd Session in San José, Costa Rica from April 23 through Aril 27, 2018. During its sessions, the IACtHR typically holds public hearings on the merits of individual complaints and deliberates on contentious cases alleging human rights violations.
The IACtHR has jurisdiction over cases brought against a Member State of the Organization of American States (OAS) that has accepted the Court’s jurisdiction as authorized by Article 62 of the American Convention on Human Rights. There are 20 OAS Member States 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 Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. The IACtHR also has authority to issue advisory opinions. For more information on the IACtHR, visit IJRC’s Online Resource Hub.
Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) will hold two Grand Chamber hearings this month.
On April 18, 2018, the ECtHR will hold a Grand Chamber hearing in the case of Ilias and Ahmed v. Hungary. See ECtHR, Calendar of Hearings. The applicants in this case are two Bangladeshi nationals who attempted to seek asylum in Hungary by way of Greece, “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,” and Serbia. [ECtHR Press Release] The applicants stayed inside the Röszke transit zone, situated between the borders of Hungary and Serbia, for 23 days because the zone was surrounded by a fence and guarded. [ECtHR Press Release] Following two sets of asylum proceedings in Hungary, the applicants were removed to the Serbian border based on a government decree that listed Serbia as a safe third country. [ECtHR Press Release]
The applicants allege that the 23 days they spent in the transit zone amounted to a deprivation of liberty which had no legal basis, that the detention constituted inhuman treatment given that they were already suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder, that their expulsion to Serbia exposed them to the risk of inhuman treatment, and that Hungary’s asylum proceedings were inadequate. [ECtHR Press Release] In its chamber judgment of March 14, 2017, the ECtHR held that there had been a violation of the right to liberty and security and the right to an effective remedy. [ECtHR Press Release] The chamber did not find a violation of the prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment as concerned the applicants’ detention in the Röszke transit zone, but it did find a violation of the prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment as concerned the applicants’ expulsion to Serbia. [ECtHR Press Release] The case was referred to the Grand Chamber at the request of the Hungarian government on September 18, 2017. [ECtHR Press Release]
On April 18, 2018, the ECtHR will also hold a Grand Chamber hearing in the case of Z.A. and Others v. Russia. See ECtHR, Calendar of Hearings. The applicants in this case are four individuals holding identity documents from Iraq, the Palestinian territories, Somalia, and Syria. [ECtHR Press Release] All four applicants were independently denied entry into Russia by the Russian border authority due to irregularities with their travel documents, leading all the applicants to spend between five to 23 months in the transit zone of the airport. [ECtHR Press Release] All applicants unsuccessfully applied for refugee status in Russia. [ECtHR Press Release]
The applicants allege that the conditions of their detention in the transit zone violated the prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment, and that their confinement amounted to an unlawful deprivation of liberty in violation of their right to liberty and security. [ECtHR Press Release] In a chamber judgment, the ECtHR held that there was a violation of both the prohibition of inhuman and degrading treatment and the right to liberty and security. [ECtHR Press Release] The case was referred to the Grand Chamber at the request of the Russian government on September 18, 2017.
The ECtHR is a regional human rights judicial body based in Strasbourg, France. The Court has jurisdiction to decide complaints that allege violations of the European Convention on Human Rights and are submitted by individuals, or States, against States parties to the European Convention.
For more information on the European Court, visit IJRC’s Online Resource Hub.
Additional Information
For more information on UN treaty bodies; the Human Rights Committee; Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; the Committee Against Torture; the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination; the Committee on Migrant Workers; the Committee on Enforced Disappearances; the Committee on the Rights of the Child; the Special Rapporteur on minority issues; the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief; the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights; the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; the Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation; the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences; the Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination; the Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity; the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons; the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; the Working Group on enforced or involuntary disappearances; the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention; the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights; the European Court of Human Rights; the Inter-American Court of Human Rights; or for upcoming sessions and hearings, visit IJRC’s Online Resource Hub.