In the month of September, several universal and regional bodies will be in session to assess States’ compliance with their human rights obligations through the consideration of State and civil society reports, country visits, and the review of individual complaints. Five United Nations treaty bodies will meet in September to engage with States regarding their treaty obligations related to the rights of persons with disabilities; the rights of migrant workers; children’s rights; and economic, social, and cultural rights. The UN Human Rights Council will be in session to review communications as well as thematic and country-specific reports. Seven UN special procedures will conduct country visits focusing on States’ international financial obligations, the rights of persons with albinism, the right to food, the independence of judges and lawyers, adequate housing, cultural rights, and LGBTI issues, respectively. Additionally, the UN working group focused on forced disappearances will be in session.
Regionally, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR), the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR), and the European Committee of Social Rights (ESCR) will all be in session. Finally, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights will hear one case related to the prohibition of collective expulsion of aliens and the right to an effective remedy.
The UN treaty body sessions, the public hearings of the European Court, and the public hearings of the IACtHR, 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.
Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 20th Session & 10th Pre-Sessional Working Group
20th Session
The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) will continue its 20th Session in Geneva, Switzerland. The session started on August 27 and will end on September 21, 2018. According to the proposed programme of work, the CRPD considered State reports from Algeria and South Africa in August, and will consider State reports from Bulgaria, Malta, Philippines, Poland, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in September to assess their implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. After reviewing the States’ reports and civil society alternative reports on State implementation, the CRPD will issue concluding observations for each State, noting challenges to and positive developments in implementing the Convention. Furthermore, in August, the CRPD considered and adopted lists of issues prior to reporting as part of the simplified reporting procedure for Mongolia and Sweden. In September, it will consider and adopt a list of issues for Iraq and lists of issues prior to reporting as part of the simplified reporting procedure for Austria, Azerbaijan, and Germany. The simplified reporting procedure allows States to use answers to lists of issues to fulfill their reporting requirement.
According to the information note for non-governmental organizations (NGOs), any civil society organizations wishing to participate must register for the session by September 21, 2018 through the session’s page on the Indico system.
To view session documents, including information submitted by civil society, visit the CRPD’s 20th Session webpage. For more information on the CRPD, visit IJRC’s Online Resource Hub.
10th Pre-Sessional Working Group
After concluding its 20th Session, the CRPD will hold its 10th Pre-Sessional Working Group from September 24 to 27, 2018 in Geneva, Switzerland. According to the 10th Pre-Sessional Working Group webpage, the CRPD will consider the State reports of Niger, Norway, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Turkey, and Vanuatu. Civil society organizations wishing to attend the session must register for accreditation by September 27, 2018 through the session’s page on the Indico system.
To view session documents, including State party reports, visit the 10th Pre-Sessional Working Group webpage. For more information on the CRPD, visit IJRC’s Online Resource Hub.
Committee on Migrant Workers 29th Session
The Committee on Migrant Workers (CMW) will hold its 29th Session in Geneva, Switzerland from September 3 to 12, 2018. According to the provisional agenda, the CMW will review the State reports of Madagascar and Mozambique 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 also consider and adopt lists of issues for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Colombia, and list of issues prior to reporting for Azerbaijan and Venezuela. The CMW will consider the States’ responses to lists of issues prior to reporting in place of a State report to the CMW under the simplified reporting procedure. Further, 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.
According to the information note for civil society and National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), NGOs and NHRIs may submit written statements or give oral briefings on issues relevant to the Convention for the States under review during the session. The meeting with NGOs and NHRIs will be held on September 3, 2018. The CMW asks that NGOs and NHRIs limit their oral statements to eight minutes or less and to bring five copies of their statements at least 15 minutes prior to the meeting for interpretation purposes. NGOs and NHRIs should also email an electronic copy of their statements in Word format to [email protected]. It is possible to provide a briefing through video-conferencing. Interested NGOs and NHRIs should contact the CMW secretariat in advance. All written submissions must have reached the Secretariat of the Committee no later than August 13, 2018. Civil society members and organizations wishing to participate in the session must register by September 6, 2018 through the session’s page on the Indico system.
To view session documents, including the provisional agenda, State party reports, and information from civil society, visit the 29th Session webpage. For more information on the CMW, visit IJRC’s Online Resource Hub.
Committee on the Rights of the Child 79th Session
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) will hold its 79th Session from September 17 to October 5, 2018 in Geneva, Switzerland. The CRC will review the State reports of El Salvador, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mauritania, and Niger to assess their implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The CRC will review State reports from Benin, Niger, and Saudi Arabia to assess their compliance with the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. Additionally, the CRC will review State reports from Benin and Saudi Arabia to assess their implementation of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict. After reviewing the States’ reports and civil society’s alternative reports, the CRC will issue at a later date concluding observations, noting challenges to and positive developments in the implementation of the Convention and its Optional Protocols.
Civil Society organizations wishing to attend the session must register online by September 28, 2018, through the Indico system. The Indico registration webpage lists the photo requirements for registration.
To view the session documents, including the tentative programme of work and information submitted by civil society, visit the 79th Session webpage. For more information on the CRC, visit IJRC’s Online Resource Hub.
Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights 64th Session
The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) will hold its 64th Session from September 24 to October 12, 2018 in Geneva, Switzerland. The CESCR will examine the State reports of Argentina, Cabo Verde, Germany, Mali, South Africa and Turkmenistan. 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.
According to the information note for civil society and NHRIs, the Committee welcomes written information on issues relevant to the Convention for the States under review during the session. All written submissions must be submitted to the Secretariat of the Committee at least three weeks before the beginning of the session. These should be sent electronically in Word format to [email protected]. NGOs and civil society organizations wishing to attend the session must register for accreditation by September 14, 2018 through the session’s page on the Indico system.
To view session documents, including the programme of work, State reports, and civil society’s alternative reports, visit the 64th Session webpage. For more information on the CESCR, visit IJRC’s Online Resource Hub.
Human Rights Council 39th Session
The United Nations Human Rights Council will hold its 39th Session in Geneva, Switzerland. The session will begin on September 10 and will end on September 28, 2018. According to the session agenda, the Human Rights Council has received the annual report and other reports from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN High Commissioner’s office, and the UN Secretary General; final outcome reports from the Universal Periodic Review Working Group on specific States for the Council to adopt; and reports from UN special procedures mandate holders. The list of reports is available on the session’s webpage.
The Human Rights Council will select individuals from a proposed list of candidates to fill the UN special procedures mandates of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea.
During the session, the Council will also convene several panel discussions on the rights of indigenous peoples and on the integration of a gender perspective in the work of the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms. The Human Rights Council will also elect four members to the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee: one from the Group of African States, one from the Group of Asia-Pacific States, one from the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States and one from the Group of Western European and other States.
Additionally, the Council will convene several panel discussions on the prevention of genocide, the rights of indigenous people, and the integration of the rights of women throughout the UN system.
Only NGOs in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) can be accredited to participate in the Human Rights Council’s sessions as observers. NGOs accredited as observers may attend and observe the Council’s proceedings that are open to NGOs; submit written statements; make oral interventions; participate in debates, dialogues, and discussions; and engage in side events. For more information on accreditation and participation in the Human Rights Council’s sessions, visit its page on NGO participation.
Relevant documents and other information, including the reports considered during the session, submissions from civil society, and the Council’s agenda, is available on the Human Rights Council’s 39th Session webpage.
The Human Rights Council holds at least three regular sessions per year and may hold additional special sessions to address urgent human rights violations if one-third of the Member States request it. The Council is an inter-governmental body of the United Nations, composed of 47 UN Member States that are elected by the UN General Assembly. The Human Rights Council is responsible for the promotion and protection of human rights and is tasked with addressing human rights violations and making recommendations. Its mandate covers all human rights issues. Among the mechanisms that facilitate the Human Rights Council’s mandate are the Universal Periodic Review, the Advisory Committee, and the Complaint Procedure.
For more information about the Human Rights Council, visit IJRC’s Online Resource Hub.
Special Procedures
Various UN Special Procedures have country visits or sessions scheduled for the month of September. Four special rapporteurs and three independent experts will carry out country visits, and one working group will be in session in Geneva, Switzerland.
The Special Rapporteur on the right to food is scheduled to visit Argentina from September 12 to 21, 2018.
The Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers is scheduled to visit Morocco from September 18 to 25, 2018.
The Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context is scheduled to visit Egypt from September 24 to October 3, 2018.
The Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights is scheduled to visit Poland from September 24 to October 5, 2018.
The Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children is scheduled to visit Malaysia from September 24 to October 1, 2018.
The Independent Expert on the effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States on the full enjoyment of all human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka from September 3 to 11, 2018.
The Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism is scheduled to visit Kenya September 7 to 17, 2018.
The Independent Expert on sexual orientation and gender identity is scheduled to visit Georgia from September 25 to October 5, 2018.
The Working Group on enforced or involuntary disappearances will hold its 116th Session from September 10 to 14, 2018 in Geneva, Switzerland.
During their country visits, these special procedures mandate holders will assess both the overall human rights situation in the country and the 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 UN Human Rights Council and the UN 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 Online Resource Hub.
Inter-American Court of Human Rights 127th Regular Session
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) will hold its 127th Regular Session from September 24 to 28, 2018 in San Jose, Costa Rica. 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 contentious 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.
African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights 50th Ordinary Session
The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR) will continue its 50th Ordinary Session in Arusha, Tanzania. The session began on August 27 and will end on September 21, 2018. In August, the AfCHPR held a ceremony to swear in three judges elected in June during the 33rd Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union in Nouakchott, Mauritania. [AfCHPR Press Release: Swearing-in] The AfCHPR also elected the President and Vice President of the African Court. [AfCHPR Press Release: President] During its sessions, the AfCHPR typically holds hearings on the admissibility and merits of pending complaints alleging violations of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and any other international human rights treaty.
The AfCHPR is a regional human rights tribunal that has both advisory and contentious jurisdiction. Generally, the AfCHPR holds four ordinary sessions a year, but it may hold additional extraordinary sessions if the President of the Court calls for one. Individuals and non-governmental organizations with observer status before the ACHPR may bring cases directly to the AfCHPR if the relevant State has accepted the AfCHPR’s jurisdiction over individual complaints. As of April 2018, eight States allow for the AfCHPR’s jurisdiction over individual complaints: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Malawi, Tanzania, and Tunisia. See AfCHPR, Welcome to the African Court. Rwanda previously allowed for jurisdiction over individual complaints but subsequently withdrew its declaration that accepted the jurisdiction. [AfCHPR Press Release] The AfCHPR may also hear cases on the merits that are referred by the ACHPR or brought by a State party to the Protocol to the African Charter on the Establishment of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights against any of the 30 States that have accepted the jurisdiction of the Court. See AfCHPR, Welcome to the African Court.
For more information on the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, visit IJRC’s Online Resource Hub.
European Committee of Social Rights 301st Session
The European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) of the Council of Europe will hold its 301st Session from September 10 to 13, 2018 in Strasbourg, France. The agenda and the synopsis for this session will be published on the European Committee of Social Right’s calendar at a later date.
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, the ECSR will consider State reports concerning the Charter’s labor rights from the Netherlands, Sweden, Croatia, Norway, Slovenia, Cyprus, and the Czech Republic throughout the 2018 calendar year. The ECSR will consider simplified reports on the same topic from France, Greece, Portugal, Italy, Belgium, Bulgaria, Ireland, and Finland throughout the 2018 calendar year. 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 Online Resource Hub.
Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) will hold one Grand Chamber hearing this month on the case of N.D. and N.T. v. Spain. In this case, the applicants allege violations under Article 4 of Protocol No. 4 to the European Convention on Human Rights (prohibition of collective expulsion of aliens), and Article 13 of the European Convention of Human Rights (right to an effective remedy). [ECtHR Press Release] In August 2014, the applicants, Malian and Ivorian nationals, attempted to enter Spain through the Melilla border crossing. [ECtHR Press Release] Upon crossing the border, they were immediately arrested and returned to Morocco without an opportunity to receive assistance from lawyers, interpreters, or medical personnel. [ECtHR Press Release] N.D. and N.T. later entered Spanish territory through the Melilla border, separately crossing in December and October 2014, respectively. [ECtHR Press Release] Following deportation orders entered by the Spanish government against both of them, N.D. was returned to Mali and N.T.’s current situation is unknown. [ECtHR Press Release] The applicants allege that they have been subjected to a collective expulsion without an individual assessment of their situation and that their removal occurred without prior judicial or administrative decisions. [ECtHR Press Release] A chamber of the European Court found that Spain violated Article 4 of Protocol No. 4 and Article 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights. [ECtHR Press Release] The Spanish government requested that the case be referred to the Grand Chamber, and the Grand Chamber accepted the request on January 29, 2018. [ECtHR Press Release]
The ECtHR is a regional human rights judicial body based in Strasbourg, France. The Court has jurisdiction over alleged human rights violations under the European Convention on Human Rights, which may be submitted by individuals and States against States parties to the Convention.
For more information on the European Court of Human Rights, visit the IJRC’s Online Resource Hub.
Additional Information
For more information on UN treaty bodies, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the UN Human Rights Council, the UN special procedures, the Independent Expert on the effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States, the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights of persons with albinism, the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context, the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, the Working Group on enforced or involuntary disappearances, the European Committee of Social Rights, the European Court of Human Rights, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, or for upcoming sessions and hearings, visit IJRC’s Online Resource Hub.