The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination will hold its seventy-second session at Palais Wilson in Geneva from 18 February to 7 March 2008 to review anti-discrimination efforts undertaken by the Governments of Fiji, Italy, the United States, Belgium, Nicaragua, Moldova and the Dominican Republic.

These countries are among the 173 States parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination. The 18-member Committee, the first body created by the United Nations to review actions by States to fulfil obligations under a specific human rights agreement, examines reports submitted periodically by States parties on efforts to comply with the Convention. Government representatives generally present the report, discuss its contents with Committee members, and answer questions.

At this session, the Experts will also look at the implementation of the Convention in Gambia, Monaco, the United Arab Emirates and Panama, under its review procedure. These States parties are at least five years late for the submission of their initial or periodic reports to the Committee.

At its first meeting, the Committee will swear in the nine members of the Committee elected or re-elected at the twenty-second Meeting of States parties to the Convention, held on 17 January 2008, and will elect a Chairperson, three Vice-Chairpersons and a Rapporteur from among the Committee members. Near the beginning of the session, the Committee will also hold a dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, as well as with other United Nations bodies, specialized agencies and other competent bodies.

During the course of the three-week session, the Committee will be briefed on follow-up activities to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action adopted at the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance. In addition, the Committee will study, in closed session, communications from individuals claiming to be victims of racial discrimination. Only complaints against the 51 States parties that have recognized the competence of the Committee under article 14 of the Convention are admissible.

Furthermore, the Committee will begin consideration of a draft general recommendation on special measures (i.e. measures to secure adequate advancement of certain racial or ethnic groups or individuals to ensure their equal enjoyment or exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms; sometimes known as "affirmative action"). The Committee will also examine country situations under its early warning and urgent action procedures.

Background on Reports to Be Considered at This Session

Following are references to the previous reports considered by the Committee, and the concluding observations issued on them, for countries that will be presenting at this session:

The Committee considered the combined sixth to fifteenth periodic reports of Fiji on 11 and 12 March 2003, and its concluding observations on it can be found in document CERD/C/62/CO/3; the Committee reviewed the thirteenth periodic report of Italy on 8 August 2001, and conclusions on it are incorporated in document A/56/18 (paras. 298-320); the combined initial, second and third periodic reports of the United States were examined by the Committee on 3 and 6 August 2001, and final comments on it were published in document A/56/18 (paras. 380-407); the Committee considered the eleventh to thirteenth periodic reports of Belgium on 21 March 2002, and issued concluding observations on it in document CERD/C/60/CO/2; the combined fifth to ninth periodic reports of Nicaragua were examined on 7 and 8 August 1995, and concluding comments were made available in document A/50/18 (paras. 499-541); the Committee reviewed the combined initial and second to fourth periodic reports of Moldova on 11 and 12 March 2002, and published its conclusions in document CERD/C/60/CO/9; and the fourth to eighth periodic reports of the Dominican Republic were taken up on 26 August 1999, and conclusions issued in document CERD/C/304/Add.74.

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination

Adopted in 1965 by the General Assembly, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination entered into force 4 January 1969. The Convention defines racial discrimination as any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life.

Under the Convention, States parties commit themselves to condemn racial discrimination and undertake to pursue by all appropriate means and without delay a policy of eliminating racial discrimination in all its forms and promoting understanding among all races. To that end, each State Party undertakes to engage in no act or practice of racial discrimination against persons, groups of persons or institutions and to en sure that all public authorities and public institutions, national and local, shall act in conformity with this obligation; not to sponsor, defend or support racial discrimination by any persons or organizations; to take effective measures to review governmental, national and local policies, and to amend, rescind or nullify any laws and regulations which have the effect of creating or perpetuating racial discrimination wherever it exists; to prohibit and bring to an end, by all appropriate means, including legislation as required by circumstances, racial discrimination by any persons, group or organization; to encourage, where appropriate, integrationist multiracial organizations and movements and other means of eliminating barriers between races, and to discourage anything which tends to strengthen racial division.

In accordance with article 4, States parties also undertake to condemn all propaganda and all organizations which are based on ideas or theories of superiority of one race or group of persons of one colour or ethnic origin, or which attempt to justify or promote racial hatred and discrimination in any form, and undertake to adopt immediate and positive measures designed to eradicate all incitement to, or acts of, such discrimination.

States parties, by virtue of article 9, undertake to submit a report on the legislative, judicial, administrative or other measures which they have adopted and which give effect to the provisions of this Convention. To ensure the implementation and the respect of their obligations under the Convention by States parties, the Convention establishes the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to examine the reports presented by States parties.

In addition, as provided in article 14, a State Party may at any time declare that it recognizes the competence of the Committee to receive and consider communications from individuals or groups of individuals within its jurisdiction claiming to be victims of a violation by that State Party of any of the rights set forth in this Convention. No communication shall be received by the Committee if it concerns a State party that has not made such a declaration. To date, 51 States parties have made a declaration under this article.

States Parties to the Convention

At present, the following 173 States are parties to the Convention: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Equatorial Guinea, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Germany, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Communications Under Article 14

Under article 14 of the Convention, the Committee considers communications from individuals or groups of individuals claiming to be victims of a violation by States parties of any of the rights set forth in the Convention, provided the States concerned have recognized the competence of the Committee in this regard. The following 51 States parties have already done so: Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Senegal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Ukraine, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Committee Membership

The members of the Committee, elected in their individual capacity, are: Mahmoud Aboul-Nasr (Egypt); Nourredine Amir (Algeria); Alexei Avtonomov (Russian Federation); Jose Francisco Cali Tzay (Guatemala); Fatima-Binta Victoire Dah (Burkina Faso); Régis de Gouttes (France); Ion Diaconu (Romania); Kokou Mawuena Ika Kana (Dieudonné) Ewomsan (Togo); Huang Yong'an (China); Anwar Kemal (Pakistan); Morten Kjaerum (Denmark); Dilip Lahiri (India); José Augusto Lindgren Alves (Brazil); Pastor Elias Murillo Martinez (Colombia); Chris Maina Peter (Tanzania); Pierre-Richard Prosper (United States); Linos Alexander Sicilianos (Greece); Patrick Thornberry (United Kingdom).


Timetable for Opening/Closing Meetings and Consideration of State Party Reports*

*For a tentative timetable of all the meetings of the Committee's seventy-second session, see document CERD/C/72/1.


Monday, 18 February

a.m. Public opening

Tuesday, 19 February

p.m. Fiji: sixteenth and seventeenth periodic reports (CERD/C/FJI/17)

Wednesday, 20 February

a.m. Fiji (continued)

p.m. Italy: fourteenth and fifteenth periodic reports (CERD/C/ITA/15)

Thursday, 21 February

a.m. Italy (continued)

p.m. United States: fourth to sixth periodic reports (CERD/C/USA/6) (Room XVI, Palais des Nations)

Friday, 22 February

a.m. United States (continued) (Room XVI, Palais des Nations)

Monday, 25 February

p.m. Belgium: fourteenth and fifteenth periodic reports (CERD/C/BEL/15)

Tuesday, 26 February

a.m. Belgium (continued)

p.m. Nicaragua: tenth to fourteenth periodic reports (CERD/C/NIC/14)

Wednesday, 27 February

a.m. Nicaragua (continued)

p.m. Moldova: fifth to seventh periodic reports (CERD/C/MDA/7)

Thursday, 28 February

a.m. Moldova (continued)

p.m. Dominican Republic: ninth to twelfth periodic reports (CERD/C/DOM/12)

Friday, 29 February

a.m. Dominican Republic (continued)

p.m. Monaco, Gambia, United Arab Emirates, Panama: Review Procedure

Friday, 7 March

a.m. Adoption of concluding observations; public closing


For use of the information media; not an official record

CRD08001E