COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
Sub-Commission on the Promotion
and Protection of Human Rights
Fifty-third session
AGENDA
The agenda of the fifty-third session, as adopted by the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights at its 8th meeting, on 3 August 2001, is reproduced below. The material in parenthesis is principally based upon the issues raised by Sub-Commission members at the fifty-third session, the indicative subheadings in the annotated agenda (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2001/1/Add.1) and other matters considered by the Sub-Commission at its recent sessions. This material is intended to provide a guide to the substantive issues expected to be discussed under each of the seven agenda items.
1. Organization of work.
(Election of officers; Adoption of the agenda; Methods of work; Documentation)
2. Question of the violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including policies of racial discrimination and segregation, in all countries, including colonial and other dependent countries and territories: report of the Sub-Commission under Commission on Human Rights resolution 8 (XXIII).
3. Administration of justice.
(Discrimination in the administration of justice; Sessional working group on the administration of justice; Question of human rights and states of emergency; The death penalty in relation to juvenile offenders; Question of enforced disappearances)
4. Economic, social and cultural rights.
(The relationship between the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights and the right to development, and the working methods and activities of transnational corporations; Globalization and its impact on the full enjoyment of all human rights; The realization of the right to development; The Social Forum; Intellectual property rights and human rights; Promotion of the realization of the right to drinking water and sanitation; Optional protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; Adverse consequences of economic sanctions)
5. Prevention of discrimination:
(a) Racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia;
(The concept and practice of affirmative action; World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance; The rights of non-citizens; Discrimination based on work and descent; Situation of migrant workers)
(b) Prevention of discrimination and protection of indigenous peoples;
(Working Group on Indigenous Populations; International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People; Indigenous peoples and their relationship to land; Protection of the heritage of indigenous people; Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues; United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Populations)
(c) Prevention of discrimination and protection of minorities.
(Working Group on Minorities; The human rights problems and protection of the Roma)
6. Other human rights issues:
(a) Women and human rights;
(Traditional practices affecting the health of women and the girl child; Situation of women and girls in the territories controlled by Afghan armed groups)
(b) Contemporary forms of slavery;
(Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery; United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery)
(c) Other issues.
(The right to seek and enjoy asylum; Detention of asylum-seekers; Smuggling and trafficking in persons and the protection of their human rights; The right of return of displaced persons; Promotion of dialogue on human rights issues; Observance of the human rights and fundamental freedoms contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by States which are not parties to the International Covenants on Human Rights; Reservations to human rights treaties; Continuing obligations under international human rights instruments; Human rights and human responsibilities; Terrorism and human rights; Promotion and consolidation of democracy; State cooperation with United Nations human rights mechanisms; The adverse effects on human rights of the proliferation and transfer of small arms and light weapons; Systematic rape, sexual slavery and slavery-like practices; Human rights and population displacements; Human rights and disability; Human rights and scientific and technological developments; Transfer of arms and illicit trafficking in arms; Religious intolerance)
7. Draft provisional agenda and adoption of the report:
(a) Draft provisional agenda for the fifty-fourth session of the Sub-Commission;
(b) Adoption of the report on the fifty-third session.
