General Assembly Official Records Seventieth Session Supplement No. 40 A/70/40 Report of the Human Rights Committee 111th session (8-25 July 2014) 112th session (7-31 October 2014) 113th session (16 March-2 April 2015) United Nations New York, 2015 Note Symbols of United Nations documents are composed of letters combined with figures. Mention of such a symbol indicates a reference to a United Nations document. Summary The present annual report covers the period from 30 March 2014 to 2 April 2015 and the 111th, 112th and 113th sessions of the Human Rights Committee. In total, there are 168 States parties to the Covenant, 115 to the Optional Protocol and 81 to the Second Optional Protocol. During the period under review, the Committee considered 18 States parties' reports submitted under article 40 and adopted concluding observations on them (111th session: Chile; Georgia; Ireland; Japan; Malawi; and the Sudan; 112th session: Burundi, Haiti, Israel, Malta, Montenegro; and Sri Lanka; 113th session: Cambodia; Côte d'Ivoire; Croatia; Cyprus; Monaco; and the Russian Federation (see paragraph 17 on concluding observations). Under the Optional Protocol procedure, the Committee adopted 80 Views on communications, and declared 25 communications inadmissible. Consideration of communications was discontinued in 11 cases. So far, 2,593 communications have been registered since the entry into force of the Optional Protocol to the Covenant, including 224 since the writing of the previous report (see paragraph 26 on Optional Protocol decisions). The Special Rapporteur for follow-up on concluding observations, Fabián Salvioli, presented progress reports during the Committee's 112th and 113th sessions. The Special Rapporteur for follow-up on Views, Yuji Iwasawa, presented progress reports at the three Committee sessions. The Committee again deplores the fact that a large number of States parties do not comply with their reporting obligations under article 40 of the Covenant. Fifty-two States parties are currently at least five years overdue with either an initial or periodic report. During the 113th session, the Chairperson absented himself for three days to attend the interactive dialogue with the General Assembly in New York on 20 October 2014 (see paragraph 53 below). Finally, recalling the obligation of the Secretary-General under article 36 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Committee reaffirms its grave concern over the lack of sufficient staff resources and translation services which hampers its activities. Once again, it stresses the importance of providing the Secretariat with the necessary resources to support its work effectively. The Committee appreciates the decision of the General Assembly to adopt resolution 68/268 on strengthening and enhancing the effective functioning of the human rights treaty body process system, including provision for the two and a half extra weeks of meeting time the Committee received for the calendar year 2015. However, it regrets that insufficient human resources were provided to the Committee to ensure full implementation of that resolution (see paragraph 47 below). GE.15-12558 3/33 [11 August 2015] Contents Chapter Page I. Jurisdiction and activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. I. J. K. L. States parties to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and to the Optional Protocols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sessions of the Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Election of officers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Special Rapporteurs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Working group and country report task forces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Derogations pursuant to article 4 of the Covenant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Concluding observations and follow-up to concluding observations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Communications and follow-up to Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . General comments under article 40 (4) of the Covenant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Staff resources and translation of official documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Publicity for the work of the Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Submission of the Committee's annual report to the General Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 8 9 12 12 13 13 13 14 14 15 15 16 16 17 M. Adoption of the report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . II. Methods of work of the Committee under article 40 of the Covenant and cooperation with other United Nations bodies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A. B. III. Recent developments and decisions on procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Links to other bodies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Submission of reports by States parties under article 40 of the Covenant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A. B. C. Reports submitted to the Secretary-General from April 2014 to 2 April 2015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Overdue reports and non-compliance by States parties with their obligations under article 40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Periodicity with respect to States parties' reports examined during the period under review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Annexes I. Membership and officers of the Human Rights Committee, 2014-2015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A. B. II. Membership of the Human Rights Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Officers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 19 20 21 Status of submission of reports under article 40 of the Covenant (as at 2 April 2015) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4/33 GE.15-12558 A. B. C. D. E. F. States parties the initial report of which is overdue (21 States parties) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . States parties of which the periodic report is overdue by 10 years or more (21 States parties) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . States parties of which the periodic report is between 5 and 10 years overdue (13 States parties) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . States parties of which the report is less than five years overdue (24 States parties) . . . . States parties of which the report is not yet due (66 States parties) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . States parties the report of which is yet to be considered by the Committee (25 States parties) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 23 25 26 28 32 GE.15-12558 5/33 A/70/40 I. Jurisdiction and activities A. States parties to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and to the Optional Protocols 1. At the end of the 113th session of the Human Rights Committee, there were 168 States parties to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and 115 States parties to the Optional Protocol to the Covenant. Both instruments have been in force since 23 March 1976. 2. Since the last report, the State of Palestine ratified the Covenant. There have been no new accessions to the First Optional Protocol. El Salvador, Gabon and Poland ratified the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty. 3. As at 2 April 2015, 49 States had made the declaration provided for under article 41 (1) of the Covenant. In this connection, the Committee appeals to States parties to make the declaration under article 41 of the Covenant and to consider using this mechanism with a view to making implementation of the provisions of the Covenant more effective. 4. The Second Optional Protocol to the Covenant, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty entered into force on 11 July 1991. As at 2 April 2015, there were 81 States parties to the Optional Protocol. 5. All information on the status of these treaties, including reservations and declarations made by States parties, can be accessed at the following link: https://treaties.un.org/pages/Treaties.aspx?id=4&subid=A&lang=en. B. Sessions of the Committee 6. The Human Rights Committee held three sessions since the adoption of its previous annual report. The 111th session was held from 7 to 25 July 2014, the 112th session from 7 October to 31 October 2014, and the 113th session from 16 March to 2 April 2015. All sessions were held at the United Nations Office at Geneva. C. Election of officers 7. On 11 March 2013, the Committee had elected the following officers for a term of two years, in accordance with article 39 (1) of the Covenant: Chair: Vice-Chairs: Sir Nigel Rodley Yadh Ben Achour Iulia Antoanella Motoc/Konstantine Vardzelashvili 1 Margo Waterval Cornelis Flinterman Rapporteur: 8. During its 111th, 112th and 113th sessions, the Bureau of the Committee held nine meetings (three per session). Pursuant to the decision taken at the seventy-first session, the Bureau records its decisions in formal minutes, which are kept as a record of all decisions taken. 1 Ms. Motoc resigned on 14 October 2013 (effective 4 November 2013) and, from the 110th session, was replaced as Vice-Chair by Mr. Vardzelashvili. 6/33 GE.15-12558 A/70/40 D. Special rapporteurs 9. The Special Rapporteur on new communications and interim measures, Walter Kälin, registered 224 communications during the reporting period and transmitted them to the States parties concerned, and issued 66 decisions calling for interim measures of protection pursuant to rule 92 of the Committee's rules of procedure. 10. The Special Rapporteur for follow-up on Views, Yuji Iwasawa, and the Special Rapporteur for follow-up on concluding observations, Fabián Salvioli as well as the Deputy Rapporteur for follow-up on concluding observations, Anja Seibert-Fohr, continued to carry out their functions during the reporting period. 11. During the 113th session, the Committee appointed the following new rapporteurs: Sarah Cleveland as the Special Rapporteur for follow -up on concluding observations and Yadh Ben Achour as Deputy Rapporteur for follow -up on concluding observations; Víctor Manuel Rodríguez-Rescia as Special Rapporteur for follow-up on Views; Sir Nigel Rodley and Yuval Shany as the Special Rapporteur on new communications and interim measures and co-rapporteur, respectively; and Ahmed Amin Fathalla as the Rapporteur on reprisals. E. Working group and country report task forces 12. Country report task forces met during the 111th, 112th and 113th sessions to consider and adopt lists of issues on the reports of Austria, Benin, Cambodia, Canada, Côte d'Ivoire, Cyprus, France, Greece, Iraq, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, Spain, Suriname, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Uzbekistan, and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of). Lists of issues prior to reporting were also adopted for Poland, Mexico and Switzerland. 13. At the 111th session, the Working Group on Communications was composed of Lazhari Bouzid, Christine Chanet, Mr. Flinterman, Ms. Motoc, Mr. Ben Achour, Gerald L. Neuman, Mr. Rodríguez-Rescia, Mr. Salvioli, Ms. Seibert-Fohr, Mr. Shany, Mr. Vardzelashvili and Ms. Waterval. Ms. Seibert-Fohr was designated ChairRapporteur. The Working Group met from 7 to 25 July 2014. 14. At the 112th session, the Working Group on Communications was composed of Mr. Ben Achour, Mr. Bouzid, Ms. Chanet, Mr. Flinterman, Mr. Neuman, Mr. Rodríguez-Rescia, Dheerujlall Seetulsingh, and Ms. Waterval. Mr. Ben Achour was designated Chair-Rapporteur. The Working Group met from 29 September 2014 to 3 October 2014. 15. At the 113th session, the Working Group on Communications was composed of Mr. Ben Achour, Mr. Bouzid, Mr. Salvioli, Mr. Seetulsingh, Ms. Seibert-Fohr, Sir Nigel Rodley, Mr. Vardzelashvili and Ms. Waterval. Mr. Salvioli was designated Chair-Rapporteur. The Working Group met from 9 to 13 March 2015. F. Derogations pursuant to article 4 of the Covenant 16. Article 4 (1) of the Covenant stipulates that, in time of public emergency which threatens the life of the nation, States parties may take measures derogating from certain of their obligations under the Covenant. Pursuant to paragraph 2, no derogation is allowed from articles 6, 7, 8 (1 and 2), 11, 15, 16 and 18. Pursuant to paragraph 3, any derogation must be immediately notified to the other States parties through the intermediary of the Secretary-General. A further notification is required upon the GE.15-12558 7/33 A/70/40 termination of the derogation. 2 During the period covered by the present report, the following States made derogations under the Covenant: Guatemala, Peru and Thailand. All such notifications are available on the website of the Office of Legal Affairs: http://treaties.un.org. G. Concluding observations and follow-up to concluding observations 17. Since its forty-fourth session in March 1992, 3 the Committee has adopted concluding observations. It takes the concluding observations as a starting point in the preparation of the list of issues for the consideration of the subsequent State party report. During the period under review, concluding observations were adopted on 18 States parties (111th session: Chile (CCPR/C/CHL/CO/6), Georgia (CCPR/C/GEO/CO/4), Ireland (CCPR/C/IRL/CO/4), Japan (CCPR/C/JPN/CO/6), Malawi (CCPR/C/MWI/CO/1) and the Sudan (CCPR/C/SDN/CO/4); 112th session: Burundi (CCPR/C/BDI/CO/2), Haiti (CCPR/C/HTI/CO/1), Israel (CCPR/C/ISR/CO/4), Malta (CCPR/C/MLT/CO/2), Montenegro (CCPR/C/MNE/CO/1) and Sri Lanka (CCPR/C/LKA/CO/5); 113th session: Cambodia (CCPR/C/KHM/CO/2), Côte d'Ivoire (CCPR/C/CIV/CO/1), Croatia (CCPR/C/HRV/CO/3), Cyprus (CCPR/C/CYP/CO/4), Monaco (CCPR/C/MCO/CO/3) and the Russian Federation (CCPR/C/RUS/CO/7)). The concluding observations adopted by the Committee at those sessions are available from the website of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) under "Human rights bodies/Treaty body document search" (www2.ohc hr.org) and from the Official Document System of the United Nations (http://documents.un.org) under the symbols indicated. 18. At its seventy-fourth session, the Committee adopted decisions spelling out the modalities for following up on concluding observations. 4 The Committee invites the State party to report back to it within a specified period regarding its follow -up to the Committee's recommendations, indicating what steps, if any, it has taken. The responses received are thereafter examined by the Committee's Special Rapporteur for follow-up on concluding observations. Since the seventy-sixth session, the Committee has, as a rule, examined the progress reports submitted by the Special Rapporte ur on a sessional basis. 19. During the 108th session, the Committee adopted a note on the procedure for follow-up to concluding observations (CCPR/C/108/2). The note defines the rules and guidelines on the development of the follow-up process and is aimed at systematizing the practice developed. 20. During the period under review, the Special Rapporteur for follow -up on concluding observations, Mr. Salvioli, as well as the Deputy Rapporteur for follow -up on concluding observations, Ms. Seibert-Fohr, submitted interim reports to the Committee during the 112th and 113th sessions. 21. During the 112th session and given the difficulties the Rapporteur had in keeping within the word limit for follow-up reports to concluding observations, the Committee decided to revert to the practice of preparing and adopting a report at each session (as opposed to two reports annually). During the period under review, follow -up comments were received from States parties. Follow-up information was also received from non-governmental organizations. 2 3 4 See Official Records of the General Assembly, Sixtieth Session, Supplement No. 40, vol. I (A/60/40 (vol. I) ), chap. I, para. 28. Ibid., Forty-seventh Session, Supplement No. 40 (A/47/40), chap. I, sect. E, para. 18. Ibid., Fifty-seventh Session, Supplement No. 40 (A/57/40), vol. I, annex III, sect. A. 8/33 GE.15-12558 A/70/40 22. All information on follow-up to concluding observations, including follow-up reports, can be found on the OHCHR website at: http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/TreatyBodyExternal/FollowUp.aspx?Treaty=CCP R&Lang=en. H. Communications and follow-up to Views 23. Individuals who claim that any of their rights under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights have been violated by a State party, and who have exhausted all available domestic remedies, may submit written communications to the Human Rights Committee for consideration under the Optional Protocol. No communication can be considered unless it concerns a State party to the Covenant that has recognized the competence of the Committee by becoming a party to the Optional Protocol. 24. Consideration of communications under the Optional Protocol is confidential and takes place in closed meetings (art. 5 (3) of the Optional Protocol). The Committee's final decisions (Views, decisions declaring a communication inadmissible, decisions to discontinue the consideration of a communication) are made public; the names of the authors are disclosed, unless the Committee decides otherwise at the request of the authors. 25. An overview of the States parties' obligations under the Optional Protocol is contained in the Committee's general comment No. 33 (2008) on the obligations of States parties under the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. 1. Progress of work 26. The Committee started its work under the Optional Protocol at its second session, in 1977. Since then 2,593 communications concerning 92 States parties have been registered for consideration by the Committee, including 224 registered during the period covered by the present report. At present, the status of the 2, 593 communications registered is as follows: (a) Consideration concluded by the adoption of Vie ws under article 5 (4) of the Optional Protocol: 1,088, including 922 in which violations of the Covenant were found; (b) (c) (d) Declared inadmissible: 645; Discontinued or withdrawn: 368; Not yet concluded: 492. 27. At its 111th, 112th and 113th sessions, the Committee adopted Views on 80 cases and concluded the consideration of 25 cases by declaring them inadmissible. The Views and final decisions adopted by the Committee at those sessions are available through the treaty body case law database (available at http://juris.ohchr.org/) as well as from the details of jurisprudence available on the OHCHR website (per session) (available at www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CCPR/Pages/Jurisprudence.aspx). They are also accessible through the treaty body database on the OHCHR website (www2.ohchr.org) and from the Official Document System of the United Nations (http://documents.un.org). 28. The Committee decided to discontinue the consideration of 13 communications for such reasons as withdrawal by the author, or because the author or counsel failed to respond to the Committee despite repeated reminders, or because the authors, who GE.15-12558 9/33 A/70/40 had expulsion orders pending against them, were allowed to stay in the countries concerned. 29. The table below sets out the pattern of the Committee's work on communications over the last six years (communications dealt with from 2009 to 31 December 2014). Year New cases registered Cases concluded a Pending cases at 31 December 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 a 191 93 102 106 96 68 124 72 99 188 94 84 456 379 355 352 434 432 Total number of cases decided (by the adoption of Views, inadmissibility decisions and decisions to discontinue consideration). 30. By the date of adoption of the present report, some 102 communications were ready for the Committee's decision on admissibility and/or merits. 2. (a) Approaches to considering communications under the Optional Protocol Special Rapporteur on new communications 31. At its thirty-fifth session, in March 1989, the Committee decided to designate a special rapporteur authorized to process new communications and requests for interim measures as they were received, i.e. between sessions of the Committee. D uring the 111th and 112th sessions, Mr. Kälin continued his activities as Special Rapporteur. At the 113th session, Sir Nigel Rodley was designated Special Rapporteur on new communications and interim measures, and Mr. Shany co-rapporteur. In the period covered by the present report, 222 new communications were transmitted to States parties under rule 97 of the Committee's rules of procedure, requesting information or observations relevant to the questions of admissibility and merits. In 66 cases, the Special Rapporteur issued requests for interim measures pursuant to rule 92 of the Committee's rules of procedure. 32. The methods of work of the Special Rapporteur, as approved by the Committee at its 110th session, are contained in document CCPR/C/110/3. (b) Competence of the Working Group on Communications 33. At its thirty-sixth session, in July 1989, the Committee decided to authorize the Working Group on Communications to adopt decisions declaring communications admissible when all members of the Working Group so agreed. Failing such agreement, the Working Group refers the matter to the Committee. It also does so whenever it believes that the Committee itself should decide the question of admissibility. The Working Group can also adopt decisions declaring communications inadmissible if all members so agree. However, the decision will be transmitted to the Committee plenary, which may confirm it without formal discussion or examine it at the request of any Committee member. 3. Individual opinions 34. In its work under the Optional Protocol, the Committee seeks to adopt decisions by consensus. However, pursuant to rule 104 of the Committee's rules of procedure, 10/33 GE.15-12558 A/70/40 members can add their individual opinions (concurring or dissenting) to the Committee's Views. Under this rule, members can also append their individual opinions to the Committee's decisions declaring communications admissible or inadmissible. 35. During the period under review, individual opinions were appended to the Committee's Views and decisions concerning 36 cases. 4. Cooperation by the States parties in the examination of communications 36. In several cases decided during the period under review, the Committee noted that the State party had failed to cooperate in the procedure by not providing observations on the admissibility and/or merits of the authors' allegations. The States parties in question are Belarus, Libya, Sri Lanka and Turkmenistan. The Committee deplored that situation and recalled that it was implicit in the Optional Protocol that States parties should transmit to the Committee all information at their disposal. In the absence of a reply, due weight has to be given to the author's allegations, to the extent that they have been properly substantiated. 37. In four cases decided during the period under review, the Committee noted with regret that the State party had failed to respect the Committee's request for interim measures. The Committee recalled that a State party commits grave breaches of its obligations under the Optional Protocol if its inaction serves to prevent or frustrate consideration by the Committee of a communication alleging a violation of the Covenant, or to render examination by the Committee moot and the expression of its Views nugatory and futile. The States in question are Belarus (two cases), the Russian Federation and Spain. 5. Issues considered by the Committee 38. A review of the Committee's work under the Optional Protocol from its second session in 1977 to its 107th session in March 2013 can be found in the Committee's annual reports for 1984 to 2013, which contain summaries of the procedural and substantive issues considered by the Committee and of the decisions taken. A chapter on the jurisprudential developments of the Committee during the period under review is not contained in this annual report but in document CCPR/C/113/4 (available in English only). The full texts of the Views adopted by the Committee and of its decisions declaring communications inadmissible under the Optional Protocol are available in the treaty body database (http:/juris.ohchr.org) on the OHCHR website (www.ohchr.org). 6. Follow-up to Views 39. During the period under review, the Special Rapporteur for follow -up on Views, Mr. Iwasawa, submitted reports during the 112th and 113th sessions. The follow -up report on individual communications under the Optional Protocol from the 112th session is contained in document CCPR/C/112/3 and the report from the 113th session in document CCPR/C/113/3. The Committee did not adopt a report on follow-up to Views at its 111th session, following its decision (adopted at its 110th session) to prepare and adopt only two reports on follow-up to Views each year (as opposed to three reports previously), and to have such reports translated. 40. To date, 922 of the 1,088 Views adopted since 1979 concluded that there had been a violation of the Covenant. The Committee has continued its practice, initiated on a trial basis at its 109th session, to include in its reports on follow -up to Views an assessment of the States parties' reply/action, based on the criteria of the follow -up procedure to the concluding observations. The Committee again notes that many GE.15-12558 11/33 A/70/40 States parties have failed to implement the Views adopted under the Optional Protocol. 41. The Committee has continued to seek to ensure implementation of its Views through its Special Rapporteur for follow-up on Views. Meetings were arranged with representatives of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Greece, so that the Committee could engage in a dialogue with them on the measures taken to give effect to its Views. 42. At its 112th session, the Committee decided to suspend the follow-up dialogue with a finding of unsatisfactory implementation of its recommendation in two cases (concerning Greece and Kyrgyzstan), and to close the follow -up dialogue with a note of partially satisfactory implementation of its recommendation in one case (concerning Libya). At its 113th session, the Committee did not suspend any follow -up dialogue. I. General comments under article 40 (4) of the Covenant 43. At the 112th session, the Committee adopted its general comment No. 35 (2014) on article 9 (liberty and security of person) (CCPR/C/GC/35). 44. At the same session, the Committee decided that the next general comment would be drafted on article 6 of the Covenant (right to life). Mr. Shany and Sir Nigel Rodley were nominated as Rapporteurs for that new general comment. 45. At the 113th session, the Committee adopted a note on the next general comment on article 6 (right to life) in preparation for a half-day of discussion on the issue to be held during its subsequent session in July 2015. The Human Rights Committee invited interested representatives of national human rights institutions, civil society and academia to participate and to provide written information on the subject. Information on the half-day of general discussion can be found at the following link: www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CCPR/Pages/GC36-Article6Righttolife.aspx. J. Staff resources and translation of official documents 46. In accordance with article 36 of the Covenant, the Secretary-General is obliged to provide the Committee members with the necessary staff and facilities for the effective performance of their functions. The Committee reaffirms its concern regarding the shortage of staff resources and stresses once again the importance of allocating adequate staff resources to service its sessions and to promote greater awareness, understanding and implementation of its recommendations at the national level. Furthermore, the Committee expresses grave concern that general rules within the United Nations concerning staff mobility in the Secretariat may hamper the work of the Committee, in particular for staff working in the Petitions Unit who need to remain in their positions for a sufficiently long period so as to acquire experience and knowledge regarding the jurisprudence of the Committee. 47. The Committee is grateful to the General Assembly for the adoption of resolution 68/268 on strengthening and enhancing the effective functioning of the human rights treaty body system, including the provision for the two and a half extra weeks of meeting time that the Committee received for the calendar year 2015. However, it regrets that insufficient human resources were provided to the Committee to ensure full implementation of the resolution. That resulted in the Committee's decision not to accept the three and a half extra days granted by the General Assembly in resolution 68/268. 48. The Committee reaffirms its deep concern that, despite having the requisite mandate and financial entitlement to have its replies to the list of issues translated, 12/33 GE.15-12558 A/70/40 there remains limited availability of these documents during its sessions. It also expresses concern that during the 112th session draft recommendations on individual communications were not available in three languages (English, French and Spanish) in time for the discussion at the working group session. Following these concerns, the Bureau of the Committee met with representatives from Conference Services and subsequently the Chair sent a letter to the Under -Secretary-General for General Assembly and Conference Management asking to be made aware of the measures being taken to resolve that problem. The Under-Secretary-General responded to the letter, reporting that the problems were due to a continued increase in mandated documentation combined with permanent capacity shortfalls, numerous sessions running in parallel, and a lack of word limits on replies to lists of issues as well as their unpredictable submission date. He indicated that the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management would study all feasible options for measures to resolve those challenges and requested the Committee's cooperation, including through the implementation of word limits on replies to lists of issues and internal deadlines. 49. At the 113th session, the Committee expressed concern about the impact that the new word limits introduced pursuant to the General Assembly resolution 68/268 would have on their work in general and on the annual report in particular. K. Publicity for the work of the Committee 50. At its ninety-fourth session, the Committee adopted a paper on a strategic approach to public relations with the media (CCPR/C/94/3). 51. During the 111th, 112th and 113th sessions, the Centre for Civil and Political Rights continued to webcast the examination of all States parties' reports as well as other public meetings of interest. The webcast may be accessed at the following link: www.treatybodywebcast.org. 52. The Committee continued to develop a robust media strategy, which included holding well-attended press conferences at the end of each session. The Committee is grateful for the invaluable assistance of the new communications officer and expresses the wish that the post continue to be funded. A significant number of articles on all of the countries examined during the period under review, as well as requests for interviews, resulted from these endeavours. L. Submission of the Committee's annual report to the General Assembly 53. During the 112th session, the Chair attended the interactive dialogue with the General Assembly in New York on 20 October 2014, at which time he presented the Committee's annual report. M. Adoption of the report 54. At its 3159th meeting, on 1 April 2015, the Committee considered the draft of its thirty-ninth annual report, covering its activities at its 111th, 112th and 113th sessions, held in 2014 and 2015. The report, as amended in the course of the discussion, was adopted unanimously. By virtue of its decision 1985/105 of 8 February 1985, the Economic and Social Council authorized the Secretary-General to transmit the Committee's annual report directly to the General Assembly. GE.15-12558 13/33 A/70/40 II. Methods of work of the Committee under article 40 of the Covenant and cooperation with other United Nations bodies 55. The present chapter summarizes and explains the modifications introduced by the Committee to its working methods under article 40 of the Covenant in the last year, as well as recent decisions adopted by the Committee on follow-up to its concluding observations on State party reports. A. Recent developments and decisions on procedures 56. During the 111th session, in a public meeting, the Committee considered the outcome of the twenty-sixth meeting of the chairs of the human rights treaty bodies (23-27 June 2014) relating to General Assembly resolution 68/268 on strengthening and enhancing the effective functioning of the human rights treaty body system. After a debriefing by the Chair on the outcome of the meeting, the Committee considered the recommendations in the report of the Chairs (A/69/285), which the Committee does not currently apply. On the issues raised therein, the Committee agreed the following: (a) The simplified reporting procedure should in principle be offered to all States parties (rather than the restricted group to which it is currently offered -- those States parties whose reports are 10 or more years overdue or whose reports are due in or after 2013). The procedure will remain applicable to periodic reports only; (b) The Committee will review the reporting guidelines to see if any incremental changes can be made, in particular in the light of the word limits on State party reports, which will come into effect as of January 2015. No major changes are currently envisaged, given that the guidelines were only revised in 2010; (c) The working languages of the Committee, relating both to documentation and interpretation, will be considered every two years depending on the membership and the rules of procedure will be amended accordingly. The Committee decided for the next two years to have English, French and Spanish as the Committee's working languages and, on an exceptional basis, Arabic; (d) On the constructive dialogue, it was agreed that a middle ground (as opposed to strict time limits or no limits at all) of indicative t ime limits would be piloted by the Chair at the 112th session; (e) The Committee's guidance note for States parties on the constructive dialogue with the Committee will be updated in the light of annex I to the report of the Chairs to the extent deemed appropriate; (f) On reprisals, the Committee appointed a Rapporteur on reprisals, Mr. Rodríguez-Rescia; (g) The Committee also considered the additional weeks granted by the General Assembly in resolution 68/268 for 2015 and adopted the proposal on how to deal with that extra time presented by the Secretariat. The Committee will have three and a half extra days in March 2015, and an extra week in both July and October 2015. The extra week in October will be added as a week of meeting in dual chambers; (h) Relevant amendments will have to be made to the Committee's rules of procedure. 14/33 GE.15-12558 A/70/40 57. During the 113th session, the Committee decided to introduce new language in its standard final paragraph of its concluding observations, referring to the word limits on State party reports, as reflected in the General Assembly resolution 68/268. 1. Focused reports based on lists of issues prior to reporting 58. In October 2009, the Committee decided to adopt a new reporting procedure available to a limited number of States parties. Information on the procedure can be found at the following link: www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CCPR/Pages/SimplifiedReportingProcedure.aspx. 59. During the 112th and 113th sessions, the Committee examined the third periodic reports of Croatia and Monaco and the fourth periodic report of Israel submitted pursuant to the simplified reporting procedure. The Committee adopted lists of issues prior to reporting with respect to the sixth periodic report of Mexico and the seventh periodic report of Poland during the 111th session and with respect to the fourth periodic report of Switzerland during the 112th session. 2. Cooperation with national human rights institutions and non-governmental organizations 60. During the 104th session, the Committee adopted a paper on its collaboration with non-governmental organizations (CCPR/C/104/3). 61. During the 106th session, the Committee adopted a similar paper on its collaboration with national human rights institutions (CCPR/C/106/3). 3. Mandate of the Special Rapporteur on new communications and interim measures 62. During the 110th session, the Committee adopted a note on the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on new communications and interim measures (CCPR/C/110/3). B. Links to other bodies 63. During its 111th session, the Committee held its fourth meeting with the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, whose session overlapped with that of the Human Rights Committee. The meeting gave the members of both Committees an opportunity to compare and contrast how they consider issues of reproductive health, in particular abortion. The Committee is very grateful to the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law for having supported the meeting through its treaty body platform. III. Submission of reports by States parties under article 40 of the Covenant 64. Under the Committee's guidelines, adopted at its sixty-sixth session and amended at the seventieth session (CCPR/C/66/GUI/Rev.2), the five-year periodicity in reporting, which the Committee itself had established at its thirteenth session in July 1981 (CCPR/C/19/Rev.1), was replaced by a flexible system whereby the date for the subsequent periodic report by a State party is set on a case-by-case basis at the end of the Committee's concluding observations on any report, in accordance with article 40 of the Covenant and in the light of the guidelines for reporting and the working methods of the Committee. The Committee confirmed this approach in its current guidelines adopted at the ninety-ninth session (CCPR/C/2009/1). GE.15-12558 15/33 A/70/40 65. During the 104th session, the Committee decided to increase the periodicity granted to States parties for their reports to up to a period of six years. A. Reports submitted to the Secretary-General from April 2014 to 2 April 2015 66. During the period covered by the present report, 15 reports were submitted to the Secretary-General by the following States parties: Azerbaijan (fourth period ic report), Burkina Faso (initial report), Colombia (seventh periodic report), Costa Rica (sixth periodic report), Ghana (initial report), Jamaica (fourth periodic report), Kazakhstan (second periodic report), Kuwait (second periodic report), Monaco (third periodic report), Morocco (sixth periodic report), Namibia (second periodic report), Rwanda (fourth periodic report), Slovenia (third periodic report), South Africa (initial report) and Thailand (second periodic report). B. Overdue reports and non-compliance by States parties with their obligations under article 40 67. The Committee wishes to reiterate that States parties to the Covenant must submit the reports referred to in article 40 of the Covenant on time so that the Committee can duly perform its functions under that article. Regrettably, serious delays have been noted since the establishment of the Committee. 68. The Committee notes with concern that the failure of States parties to submit reports hinders the performance of its monitoring functions under article 40 of the Covenant. The Committee reiterates that these States are in default of their obligations under article 40 of the Covenant. See annex II for the list of States parties with overdue reports. 69. The Committee draws particular attention to the fact that 21 initial reports are overdue, including 18 initial reports overdue by at least five years and 10 overdue by at least 10 years. The result is frustration of a crucial objective of the Covenant, namely, to enable the Committee to monitor compliance by States parties with their obligations under the Covenant on the basis of periodic reports. The Committee addresses reminders at regular intervals to all those States parties whose reports are significantly overdue. 70. Owing to the concern of the Committee about the number of overdue reports and non-compliance by States parties with their obligations under article 40 of the Covenant, 5 amendments to the rules of procedure were formally adopted during th e seventy-first session, in March 2001 (CCPR/C/3/Rev.6 and Corr.1). 6 The Committee has applied the revised rules since the end of the seventy-first session (April 2001). 71. The amendments introduced a procedure to be followed when a State party has failed to honour its reporting obligations for a long time, or requests a postponement of its scheduled appearance before the Committee at short notice. In both situations, the Committee may henceforth serve notice on the State concerned that it intends to consider, from material available to it, the measures adopted by that State party to give effect to the provisions of the Covenant, even in the absence of a report. 5 6 See Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-first Session, Supplement No. 40, vol. I (A/51/40 (vol. I)), chap. III, sect. B, and ibid., Fifty-seventh Session, Supplement No. 40 (A/57/40), chap. III, sect. B. Ibid., Fifty-sixth Session, Supplement No. 40 (A/56/40), vol. I, annex III, sect. B. The revised rules were confirmed in the amended rules of procedure adopted at the 103rd session (CCPR/C/3/Rev.10). 16/33 GE.15-12558 A/70/40 72. During its 103rd session, the Committee amended its rules of procedure (rules 68 and 70) relating to the examination of country situations in the absence of a report (review procedure). 7 Since 2012, the examination of such country situations takes place in public rather than closed session and the resulting concluding observations are also issued as public documents (see the amended rules of procedure, CCPR/C/3/Rev.10). 73. The Committee first applied the procedure under rule 70 of its rules of procedure to a non-reporting State at its seventy-fifth session. The procedure to examine States parties in the absence of a report has been initiated with regard to the following 21 States parties to date: Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Cabo Verde, the Central African Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Grenada, Haiti, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Rwanda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Seychelles, South Africa and Suriname. The examination of all States parties examined under this procedure up until the 110th session is reflected in annual report A/69/40 (Vol. I). 8 74. Prior to the 112th session, the Committee indicated to South Africa that it would adopt a list of issues on South Africa in the absence of a report during the 112th session. On 26 November 2014, South Africa submitted its report and the adoption of a list of issues was rescheduled to a later session. A note verbale was also sent to Bangladesh indicating that the Committee would adopt a list of issues in the absence of a report at the 112th session. Following a commitment by Bangladesh to provide the Committee with a report by March 2015, the Committee deferred consideration of the situation of civil and political rights in Bangladesh until receipt of the report. C. Periodicity with respect to States parties' reports examined during the period under review 75. During the 104th session, the Committee decided to increase the periodicity granted to States parties for their reports to up to a period of six years. Thus, the Committee may now ask States parties to submit their subsequent periodic reports within three, four, five or six years. 76. The periodicity of the State parties' reports examined during the period under review is indicated in the table below. State party Date of examination Due date for next report Chile Georgia Ireland Japan Malawi Sudan July 2014 July 2014 July 2014 July 2014 July 2014 July 2014 July 2019 July 2019 July 2019 July 2018 July 2018 July 2017 Burundi October 2014 October 2018 7 8 Ibid., Sixty-seventh Session, Supplement No. 40, vol. I (A/67/40 (vol. I) ), chap. II, para. 64. Ibid., Sixty-ninth Session, Supplement No. 40, vol. I (A/69/40 (vol. I) ), chap. III, paras. 101-117. GE.15-12558 17/33 A/70/40 State party Date of examination Due date for next report Haiti Israel Malta Montenegro October 2014 October 2014 October 2014 October 2014 October 2018 October 2018 October 2020 October 2020 Cambodia Côte d'Ivoire Croatia Cyprus Monaco Russian Federation March 2015 March 2015 March 2015 March 2015 March 2015 March 2015 April 2019 April 2019 April 2020 April 2020 April 2021 April 2019 18/33 GE.15-12558 A/70/40 Annex I Membership and officers9 of the Human Rights Committee, 2014-2015 A. Membership of the Human Rights Committee 111th and 112th session Nationality a Term ends 31 December Yadh Ben Achourb Lazhari Bouzid Christine Chanet Ahmed Amin Fathalla Cornelis Flinterman Yuji Iwasawa Walter Kälin c Zonke Zanele Majodina Gerald L. Neuman Sir Nigel Rodley Víctor Manuel Rodríguez-Rescia Fabián Omar Salvioli Dheerujlall Seetulsingh d Anja Seibert-Fohr Yuval Shany Konstantine Vardzelashvili Margo Waterval Andrei Paul Zltescue Tunisia Algeria France Egypt Netherlands Japan Switzerland South Africa United States of America United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Costa Rica Argentina Mauritius Germany Israel Georgia Suriname Romania 2014 2016 2014 2016 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2014 2014 113th session Nationality a Term ends 31 December Yadh Ben Achour Lazhari Bouzid Sarah Cleveland Ahmed Amin Fathalla 9 Tunisia Algeria United States of America Egypt 2018 g 2016 f 2018 g 2016 f Current and past membership of the committee can be found at the following link: www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CCPR/Pages/Membership.aspx. GE.15-12558 19/33 A/70/40 113th session Nationality a Term ends 31 December Olivier de Frouville Ivana Jeli Yuji Iwasawa Duncan Laki Muhumuza Photini Pazartzis Mauro Politi Sir Nigel Rodley France Montenegro Japan Uganda Greece Italy United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Costa Rica Mauritius Argentina Germany Israel Georgia Suriname 2018 g 2018 g 2018 g 2018 g 2018 g 2018 g 2016 f Víctor Manuel Rodríguez-Rescia Dheerujlall Seetulsingh d Fabián Omar Salvioli Anja Seibert-Fohr Yuval Shany Konstantine Vardzelashvili Margo Waterval a 2016 f 2016 2016 f 2016 f 2016 f 2016 f 2018 g b c d e f g In accordance with article 28 (3) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: "The members of the Committee shall be elected and shall serve in their personal capacity." Mr. Amor died on 2 January 2012, prior to the 104th session; his t erm was due to expire on 31 December 2014. Elections were held on 1 May 2012 for a replacement to continue this mandate until 31 December 2014. Mr. Ben Achour, from Tunisia, was elected by acclamation and his term expired on 31 December 2014. Mr. Kälin was elected during by-elections held in New York on 17 January 2012, his term expired on 31 December 2014. Mr. Matadeen resigned effective 9 January 2014; a by-election was held on 24 June 2014 during the 35th meeting of States parties during which Mr. Seetulsingh was elected, whose term will expire in 2016. Ms. Motoc resigned on 14 October 2013 (effective 4 November 2013). At the election held on 18 February 2014, at the 33rd Meeting of States parties, Mr. Zltescu was elected as a member of the Committee to replace Ms. Motoc. His term expired on 31 December 2014. These members were elected during the 32nd meeting of States parties held in New York on 6 September 2012. These members were elected during the 34th meeting of States parties held in New York on 24 June 2014. B. Officers The officers of the Committee, elected for a term of two years at the meeting, on 16 March 2015 (113th session), are the following: Chair: Vice-Chairs: Fabián Salvioli Yuji Iwasawa Dheerujlall Seetulsingh Anja Seibert-Fohr Konstantine Vardzelashvili Rapporteur: 20/33 GE.15-12558 GE.15-12558 Annex II Status of submission of reports under article 40 of the Covenant (as at 2 April 2015) A. States parties the initial report of which is overdue (21 States parties) Considered in the absence of a report State party Date due Years overdue Remarks 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Equatorial Guinea Somalia Grenada Seychelles Dominica 24 December 1988 23 April 1991 6 September 1991 4 August 1993 16 September 1994 26 23 23 21 20 Seventy-ninth session (October 2003) Eighty-sixth session (March 2006) Ninetieth Session (July 2007) 101st Session (March 2011) Scheduled for consideration during 102nd session in July 2011 (postponed) 104th session (March 2012) 107th session (March 2013) Deadline in concluding observations to submit report by 28 March 2015 6. 7. Cabo Verde Belize 5 November 1994 9 September 1997 20 A/70/40 21/33 A/70/40 22/33 State party Date due Years overdue Considered in the absence of a report Remarks 8. Bangladesh 6 December 2001 13 Deadline in last reminder letter (rule 70 of the rules of procedure) to submit report by 12 November 2014 Deadline in last reminder letter (rule 70 of the rules of procedure) to submit report by 12 November 2014 Deadline in last reminder letter (rule 70 of the rules of procedure) to submit report by 12 November 2014 In the 104th session, the Committee agreed request to extend the deadline until the end of December 2012 Deadline in last reminder letter (rule 70 of the rules of procedure) to submit report by 12 November 2014 Deadline in last reminder letter (rule 70 of the rules of procedure) to submit report by 12 November 2014 Deadline in last reminder letter (rule 70 of the rules of 9. Eritrea 22 April 2003 11 10. Timor-Leste 19 December 2004 10 11. Swaziland 27 June 2005 9 12. Liberia 22 December 2005 9 13. GE.15-12558 Bahrain 20 December 2007 7 GE.15-12558 State party Date due Years overdue Considered in the absence of a report Remarks procedure) to submit report by 12 November 2014 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. Andorra Samoa Papua New Guinea Vanuatu Bahamas Lao People's Democratic Republic Pakistan Guinea-Bissau 22 December 2007 15 May 2009 21 October 2009 21 February 2010 23 March 2010 25 December 2010 23 September 2011 1 February 2012 7 5 5 5 5 4 3 3 B. States parties of which the periodic report is overdue by 10 years or more (21 States parties) Type of report Date due Years overdue Accepted simplified reporting procedure New due date Remarks State party 22. Afghanistan Third 15 May 1996 18 12 May 2011 31 October 2013 List of issues prior to reporting adopted at the 105th session (July 2012) List of issues prior to reporting to be adopted at 114th session (July 2015) 23. Belarus Fifth 7 November 2001 13 18 February 2014 24. 25. 26. 23/33 Congo Third 31 March 2003 1 January 2004 1 November 2004 12 11 10 A/70/40 Democratic People's Third Republic of Korea Egypt Fourth A/70/40 24/33 State party Type of report Date due Years overdue Accepted simplified reporting procedure New due date Remarks 27. 28. Gabon Gambia Third Second 31 October 2003 21 June 1985 11 29 Concluding observations adopted in the absence of a second periodic report at the seventy-fifth session (July 2002) 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. Guinea Guyana India Lebanon Lesotho Mali Niger Nigeria Romania Third Third Fourth Third Second Third Second Second Fifth 30 September 1994 20 31 March 2003 12 31 December 2001 13 31 December 1999 15 30 April 2002 1 April 2005 31 March 1994 28 October 1999 28 April 1999 12 10 21 15 15 15 July 2013 30 April 2015 List of issues prior to reporting adopted at the 110th session, (March 2014) Concluding observations adopted in the absence of a second periodic report at the eighty-sixth session (March 2006) 38. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Second 31 October 1991 23 39. 40. 41. 42. GE.15-12558 Senegal Fifth 4 April 2000 31 October 2003 1 August 2004 1 June 2002 14 11 10 12 Trinidad and Tobago Fifth Viet Nam Zimbabwe Third Second GE.15-12558 C. States parties of which the periodic report is between 5 and 10 years overdue (13 States parties) Type of report Date due Years overdue Accepted simplified reporting procedure New due date Remarks State party 43. 44. 45. Brazil Central African Republic Third Third 31 October 2009 1 August 10 1 April 2009 5 3 6 Democratic People's Fourth Republic of the Congo Honduras Italy Libya Liechtenstein Luxembourg Mauritius Second Sixth Fifth Second Fourth Fifth 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 31 October 2010 31 October 2009 30 October 2010 4 5 4 1 September 2009 5 1 April 2008 1 April 2010 7 5 Information from State that report expected by the end of 2014 Report exceeded word limit. Requested to resubmit by 1 July 2015 52. Morocco Sixth 1 November 2008 6 53. 54. Syrian Arab Republic Thailand Fourth Second 1 August 2009 1 August 2009 5 5 Report exceeded word limit. Requested to resubmit by 1 July 2015 55. Uganda Second 1 April 2008 6 A/70/40 25/33 A/70/40 26/33 D. States parties of which the report is less than five years overdue (24 States parties) Type of report Date due Years overdue Accepted simplified reporting procedure New due date Remarks State party 56. 57. Algeria Argentina Fourth Fifth 1 November 2011 30 March 2014 3 1 20 September 2013 10 March 2011 30 April 2015 List of issues prior to reporting adopted at the 110th session (March 2014) List of issues prior to reporting adopted at the 106th session (October 2012) 58. Australia Sixth 1 April 2013 2 20 December 2013 59. 60. 61. Barbados Botswana Cameroon Fourth Second Fifth 29 March 2011 31 March 2012 30 July 2013 4 3 1 2 February 2011 30 July 2013 List of issues prior to reporting adopted at the 103rd session (October 2011) 62. Denmark Sixth 31 October 2013 1 2 March 2013 31 October 2013 List of issues prior to reporting adopted at the 103rd session (October 2011) 30 April 2015 List of issues prior to reporting adopted at the 110th session (March 2014) List of issues prior to reporting to be adopted at the 114th session (July 2015) 63. Ecuador Sixth 30 October 2013 1 1 March 2013 64. El Salvador Seventh 29 October 2014 11 February 2014 65. GE.15-12558 Ethiopia Second 29 July 2014 GE.15-12558 State party Type of report Date due Years overdue Accepted simplified reporting procedure New due date Remarks 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. Hungary Iran (Islamic Republic of) Jordan Madagascar Mexico Sixth Fourth Fifth Fourth Sixth 29 October 2014 2 November 2014 29 October 2014 23 March 2011 30 March 2014 4 1 15 October 2014 18 December 2013 31 August 2015 List of issues prior to reporting adopted at the 111th session (July 2014) 71. Netherlands (including Antilles and Aruba) Nicaragua Panama Republic of Moldova Fifth 31 July 2014 72. 73. 74. Fourth Fourth Third 29 October 2012 31 March 2012 30 October 2013 2 3 1 18 March 2011 31 October 2013 List of issues prior to reporting adopted at the 103rd session (October 2011) List of issues prior to reporting adopted at the 105th session (July 2012) List of issues prior to reporting adopted at the 110th session (March 2014) 75. San Marino Third 31 July 2013 1 23 February 2011 31 July 2013 76. Sweden Seventh 1 April 2014 1 20 June 2013 30 April 2015 77. 78. 79. 27/33 Tunisia United Republic of Tanzania Zambia Sixth Fifth Fourth 31 March 2012 1 August 2013 20 July 2011 3 1 3 A/70/40 A/70/40 28/33 E. States parties of which the report is not yet due (66 States parties) Type of report Date due Accepted simplified reporting procedure New due date Remarks State party 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. Albania Angola Armenia Belgium Third Second Third Sixth 26 July 2018 30 March 2017 30 July 2016 29 October 2015 1 November 2018 Bolivia Fourth (Plurinational State of) Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Third Fourth 85. 86. 2 November 2016 1 February 2011 29 July 2015 20 February 2014 List of issues prior to reporting to be adopted at the 114th session (July 2015) 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. Burundi Cambodia Chad Chile Côte d'Ivoire Croatia Third Third Third Seventh Second Fourth 31 October 2018 2 April 2019 28 March 2018 31 July 2019 2 April 2019 2 April 2020 8 January 2014 Concluding observations on the third periodic report adopted under the simplified reporting procedure 30 January 2012 93. 94. GE.15-12558 Cyprus Czech Republic Fifth Fourth 2 April 2020 26 July 2018 16 February 2015 5 July 2013 GE.15-12558 State party Type of report Date due Accepted simplified reporting procedure New due date Remarks 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 101. 102. 103. 104. 105. 106. 107. 108. 109. 110. 111. 112. 113. 114. 115. 116. Djibouti Second 1 November 2017 30 March 2016 30 July 2015 26 July 2019 31 July 2019 2 November 2018 28 March 2013 30 March 2016 31 October 2018 30 March 2018 30 July 2018 26 July 2017 31 July 2019 31 October 2018 31 July 2018 30 July 2015 28 March 2018 28 March 2020 30 July 2017 30 March 2018 31 July 2018 30 July 2015 31 October 2020 A/70/40 Dominican Republic Sixth Estonia Finland Georgia Germany Guatemala Haiti Fourth Seventh Fifth Seventh Fourth Second 15 July 2013 Hong Kong, China a Fourth Iceland Indonesia Ireland Israel Japan Kenya Kyrgyzstan Latvia Lithuania Macao, China b Malawi Maldives Malta Sixth Second Fifth Fifth Seventh Fourth Third Fourth Fourth Second Second Second Third 9 May 2011 20 March 2013 29/33 A/70/40 30/33 State party Type of report Date due Accepted simplified reporting procedure New due date Remarks 117. 118. Mauritania Monaco Second Fourth 1 November 2017 2 April 2021 5 January 2011 Concluding observations on the third periodic report adopted under the simplified reporting procedure 119. 120. 121. 122. 123. Mongolia Montenegro Mozambique Nepal New Zealand Sixth Second Second Third Sixth 1 April 2015 31 October 2020 1 November 2017 28 March 2018 30 March 2015 28 January 2011 30 April 2015 List of issues prior to reporting adopted at the 110th session (March 2014) 124. 125. 126. 127. 128. Norway Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Seventh Fourth Sixth Fifth Seventh 2 November 2016 5 April 2013 30 March 2017 30 March 2018 2 November 2016 29 October 2015 6 March 2012 30 October 2015 List of issues prior to reporting adopted at the 111th session (July 2014) 129. 130. 131. 132. 133. GE.15-12558 Portugal Russian Federation Serbia Sierra Leone Slovakia Fifth Eighth Third Second Fourth 31 October 2018 2 April 2019 1 April 2015 28 March 2017 1 April 2015 GE.15-12558 State party Type of report Date due Accepted simplified reporting procedure New due date Remarks 134. 135. 136. Sri Lanka Sudan Switzerland Sixth Fifth Fourth 31 October 2017 31 July 2017 1 November 2015 23 January 2014 List of issues prior to reporting adopted at the 112th session (October 2014) 137. 138. 139. 140. 141. 142. 143. Tajikistan Togo Turkey Turkmenistan Ukraine United States of America Uruguay Third Fifth Second Second Eighth Fifth Sixth 26 July 2017 1 April 2015 2 November 2016 30 March 2015 26 July 2018 28 March 2019 1 November 2018 26 November 2010 Concluding observations on the fifth periodic report adopted under the simplified reporting procedure 144. 145. Yemen State of Palestine Sixth Initial 30 March 2015 3 July 2015 Ratified on 2 April 2014 a b Although China is not itself a party to the Covenant, the Government of China has honoured the obligations under article 40 w ith respect to Hong Kong, China which was previously under British administration. For information on the application of the Covena nt in Hong Kong, China, see Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-first Session, Supplement No. 40 (A/51/40), chap. V, sect. B, paras. 78-85. Although China is not itself a party to the Covenant, the Government of China has honoured the obligations under article 40 with respect to Macao, China which was previously under Portuguese administration. For information on the application of the Covenant in Macao, China, see Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-fifth Session, Supplement No. 40 (A/55/40), chap. IV. A/70/40 31/33 A/70/40 32/33 F. States parties the report of which is yet to be considered by the Committee (25 States parties) Type of report Date due Date of submission Accepted simplified reporting procedure Remarks State party 146. 147. France Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) Spain Fifth Fourth 31 July 2012 1 April 2005 3 August 2012 18 December 2012 148. 149. Sixth 1 November 2012 27 December 2012 31 July 2012 29 December 2012 United Kingdom of Seventh Great Britain and Northern Ireland Uzbekistan Canada The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Austria Benin Republic of Korea Suriname Iraq Greece Costa Rica Rwanda Slovenia Fourth Sixth Third 150. 151. 152. 30 March 2013 31 October 2010 1 April 2012 5 April 2013 9 April 2013 8 May 2013 153. 154. 155. 156. 157. 158. 159. 160. 161. GE.15-12558 Fifth Second Fourth Third Fifth Second Sixth Fourth Third 30 October 2012 17 June 2013 1 November 2008 26 July 2013 2 November 2010 19 August 2013 1 April 2008 4 April 2000 1 April 2009 8 October 2013 16 October 2013 23 January 2014 1 November 2012 5 May 2014 10 April 2013 1 August 2010 11 July 2014 17 July 2014 *1512558* GE.15-12558 (E) 210815 280815 GE.15-12558 State party Type of report Date due Date of submission Accepted simplified reporting procedure Remarks 162. 163. 164. 165. 166. 167. 168. 169. 170. Namibia Kuwait Ghana South Africa Kazakhstan Azerbaijan Colombia Burkina Faso Jamaica Second Third Initial Initial Second Fourth Seventh Initial Fourth 1 August 2008 11 October 2014 2 November 2014 28 October 2014 8 February 2001 9 March 2000 29 July 2014 1 August 2013 1 April 2014 3 April 2000 17 November 2014 26 November 2014 11 December 2014 22 December 2014 22 December 2014 23 December 2014 2 November 2014 18 March 2015 A/70/40 33/33