HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE
Eighty-fourth session
Geneva, 11-29 July 2005
PROVISIONAL AGENDA AND ANNOTATIONS
Note by the Secretary-General
1. The eighty-fourth session of the Human Rights Committee will be held at the United Nations Office at Geneva, Palais Wilson, from 11 to 29 July 2005. The first meeting will convene at the ground floor conference room on Monday, 11 July 2005 at 10 a.m.
2. In accordance with rule 6 of the Committee's rules of procedure, the Secretary-General has prepared, in consultation with the Chairperson of the Committee, the attached provisional agenda for the eighty-fourth session. Annotations to the provisional agenda are also attached.
3. Pursuant to rule 33 of the Committee's rules of procedure, the meetings of the Committee will be held in public unless the Committee decides otherwise or it appears from the relevant provisions of the Covenant or the Optional Protocol that the meetings should be held in private.
4. The attention of States parties is drawn, in particular, to the annotations to item 6 which contains the tentative timetable for the consideration of reports during the eighty-fourth session. In accordance with rule 68 of the Committee's rules of procedure, representatives of States parties are expected to be present at the meetings of the Committee when their reports are examined.
5. As established under rule 95 of its rules of procedure, a working group should meet for a period of one week prior to its eighty-fourth session. The pre-sessional working group will meet from 4 to 8 July 2005.
PROVISIONAL AGENDA
1. Opening of the session by the High Commissioner or her representative.
2. Adoption of the agenda.
3. Organizational and other matters.
4. Meeting with representatives of non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations.
5. Submission of reports by States parties under article 40 of the Covenant.
6. Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 40 of the Covenant and of country situations.
7. Follow-up to concluding observations on State reports and to Views under the Optional Protocol.
8. General comments of the Committee.
9. Consideration of communications under the Optional Protocol to the Covenant.
10. Adoption of the annual report to the General Assembly.
ANNOTATIONS
1. Opening of the session by the High Commissioner for Human Rights or her representative
The High Commissioner for Human Rights or her representative will open the eighty-fourth session of the Committee.
2. Adoption of the agenda
Under rule 8 of the Committee's rules of procedure, the first item on the agenda for any session shall be the adoption of the agenda. In accordance with rule 9, the Committee may revise the agenda during a session and may, as appropriate, defer or delete items.
3. Organizational and other matters
Under this item, the Committee will consider miscellaneous issues relevant to the Committee's business.4. Meeting with representatives of non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations
At its eighty-third session, the Committee decided to hear representatives of non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations represented at the United Nations Office at Geneva. The meeting has accordingly been scheduled for the morning of Monday, 11 July 2005, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
5. Submission of reports by States parties under article 40 of the Covenant
A. Reports received
Apart from the reports which are scheduled for consideration by the Committee at its eighty-fourth session (see the timetable for consideration of reports under item 6 below), the Secretary-General has received the second periodic report of the Central African Republic, the third periodic report of the Republic of Korea, and the third to seventh periodic reports of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
B. Reports due
For the situation with regard to the submission of reports by States parties under article 40 of the Covenant, reference is made to chapter III and annex IV of the Committee's annual report to the General Assembly for 2004 (A/59/40, vol. I). A tentative timetable for the consideration of reports at the eighty-fourth session, prepared in consultation with the Committee, is given below:
Timetable for consideration of reports of States parties
The reports to be considered during the eighty-fourth session are those of Slovenia, the Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand and Yemen, in accordance with the following schedule:
| Yemen | Fourth periodic report (CCPR/C/YEM/2004/4) | Monday, 11 July 2005 p.m.
Tuesday, 12 July 2005 a.m. |
| Tajikistan | Initial report (CCPR/C/TJK/2004/1) | Wednesday, 13 July 2005 a.m./p.m.
Thursday, 14 July 2005 a.m. |
| Slovenia | Second periodic report (CCPR/C/SVN/2004/2) | Thursday, 14 July 2005 p.m.
Friday, 15 July 2005 a.m. |
| Syrian Arab Republic | Third periodic report (CCPR/C/SYR/2004/3) | Monday, 18 July 2005 a.m./p.m. |
| Thailand | Initial report (CCPR/C/THA/2004/1) | Tuesday, 19 July 2005 a.m./p.m.
Wednesday, 20 July 2005 a.m. |
In accordance with rule 68 of the Committee's rules of procedure, the Secretary-General has informed the States parties concerned of the dates on which their respective reports are scheduled for consideration by the Committee at its eighty-fourth session.
Country report task forces will examine and adopt a list of issues on the reports of Brazil, Canada and Paraguay as well as on the country situation of Nicaragua.
7. Follow-up to concluding observations and to Views under the Optional Protocol
At its seventy-fourth session, the Committee adopted decisions governing the procedure for following up on concluding observations. During the seventy-fifth session, a Special Rapporteur for follow-up on concluding observations was appointed; he will provide a progress report on his activities during the eighty-fourth session. The Special Rapporteur for follow-up on Views will equally provide a progress report on his activities.
8. General comments of the Committee
Under this item, the Committee will continue consideration of a draft revised general comment on article 14 (right to a fair trial).
9. Consideration of communications under the Optional Protocol to the Covenant
In accordance with the provisions of chapter XVII of the rules of procedure, the Committee will consider under this item communications which are or appear to be submitted to it under the Optional Protocol.
A total of 328 communications are pending before the Committee as of 11 May 2005. Pursuant to the Committee's new rules of procedure allowing the joint examination of admissibility and merits in most cases, the Committee's examination of these communications may result in the adoption of Views, or in decisions declaring the communications admissible or inadmissible.
In accordance with article 5, paragraph 3, of the Optional Protocol and rule 88 of the Committee's rules of procedure, this agenda item will be considered in closed meetings.
10. Adoption of the annual report to the General Assembly
In accordance with article 45 of the Covenant, the Committee will adopt its annual report to the General Assembly during its eighty-fourth session, on the basis of a draft prepared by the Rapporteur.
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