OHCHR - Human Rights Committee

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The Covenant and its Optional Protocols

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The Committee and its work

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E-F-R-S-C-A
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Reporting to the Committee

Optional Reporting Procedure (LOIPR)
Revised Reporting Guidelines
E-F-S
Guidelines on Core document (Word)
A compilation of HRC concluding observations for Latin American and Caribbean countries (PDF)

Elections

32nd meeting
31st meeting
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Follow-up to views

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Treaty bodies database
Universal Human Rights Index
Publications

Feature stories

Freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly

Freedom of expression and new media

Winds of Change in Tunisia

Human rights chief calls for accountability on her mission to Russia

Human rights at the heart of political change in Tunisia

Human Rights Committee celebrates 100 sessions

Using numbers to achieve human rights goals

Related UN Links

SC Counter-terrorism Committee
CAT
UNVFVT
UNHCR

External links

Amnesty International
CCPR Centre
FIACAT
FIDH
INTERIGHTS
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights First
OMCT
International Disability Alliance (IDA)
TRIAL

Note: OHCHR is not responsible for the content of external links.

Human Rights Committee

Monitoring civil and political rights

The Human Rights Committee is the body of independent experts that monitors implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by its State parties.

All States parties are obliged to submit regular reports to the Committee on how the rights are being implemented. States must report initially one year after acceding to the Covenant and then whenever the Committee requests (usually every four years). The Committee examines each report and addresses its concerns and recommendations to the State party in the form of "concluding observations”.

In addition to the reporting procedure, article 41 of the Covenant provides for the Committee to consider inter-state complaints. Furthermore, the First Optional Protocol to the Covenant gives the Committee competence to examine individual complaints with regard to alleged violations of the Covenant by States parties to the Protocol.

The full competence of the Committee extends to the Second Optional Protocol to the Covenant on the abolition of the death penalty with regard to States who have accepted the Protocol.

The Committee meets in Geneva or New York and normally holds three sessions per year.

The Committee also publishes its interpretation of the content of human rights provisions, known as general comments on thematic issues or its methods of work.

For more information about the work of the Human Rights Committee, read the Civil and Political Rights: The Human Rights Committee fact sheet. (PDF)

Forthcoming Events

108th session of the Human Rights Committee: 8-26 July 2013 in Geneva

Recent Developments and Events

107th session of the Human Rights Committee: 11-28 March 2013 in Geneva

The Human Rights Committee adopts a paper on relationship with the National Human Rights Institutions
A C E F S

The 32nd meeting of States parties, 6th September 2012 in New York

The Human Rights Committee adopts a preliminary statement on treaty body strengthening

The Human Rights Committee adopts a paper on relationship with the non-governmental organizations
E | F | R | S | C | A

The Human Rights Committee adopts a position on the Treaty Body Strengthening Process

UN Human Rights Committee deplores Belarus execution
English | Russian

Adoption of NEW General Comment on article 19 (freedom of opinion and expression)

Celebration of the 100th session of the Human Rights Committee: Public meeting on Friday 29 October from 10 am to 6 pm, Palais des Nations, room XIX. Please see provisional agenda
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Human Rights Committee deplores executions in Belarus

A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO PUBLIC RELATIONS, INCLUDING RELATIONS WITH THE MEDIA

Recent signatures, ratifications and accessions

On 26 September 2009, Lao People's Democratic Republic became the 165th State party to the Covenant

On 25 September 2009, Brazil acceded to the 1st Optional Protocol as well as to the second optional protocol aiming at the abolition of the death penalty

Note: entry into force occurs 3 months after date of deposit of instrument of ratification or accession.

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