Working Group on Arbitrary Detention

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Working Group on Arbitrary Detention

Country Visits

Visits to countries (also called field-missions) constitute an opportunity for the Working Group, through a direct dialogue with the Government concerned and representatives of civil society, to understand better the situation prevailing in that country, as well as the underlying reasons for instances of arbitrary deprivation of liberty or best practices preventing arbitrary detention from occurring. Discussions conducted during such visits with the representatives of the executive, judicial and legislative branches of government and other officials concerned, as well as with detainees, enable the Working Group members to enhance their understanding of the evolution, state application and implementation of national legislation from the perspective of international human rights norms, taking into account the social, political and historical context of each country. Such visits take place on the basis of an invitation from the Government concerned. The Working Group submits a report of the visit to the Human Rights Council, presenting its findings, conclusions and recommendations.

Country visit	Document symbol
Mission to Italy (3 to 14 November 2008)	A/HRC/10/21/Add.5
Mission to Ukraine (22 October to 5 November 2008)	A/HRC/10/21/Add.4
Mission to Colombia (1 to 10 October 2008)	A/HRC/10/21/Add.3
Mission to Mauritania (19 February to 3 March 2008)	A/HRC/10/21/Add.2
Angola (17 to 27 September 2007)	A/HRC/7/4/Add.4
Equatorial Guinea (8 to 13 July 2007)	A/HRC/7/4/Add.3
Norway (22 April to 2 May 2007)	A/HRC/7/4/Add.2
Turkey (9 to 20 October 2006)	A/HRC/4/40/Add.5
Honduras (23 to 31 May 2006)	A/HRC/4/40/Add.4
Nicaragua (15 to 23 May 2006)	A/HRC/4/40/Add.3
Ecuador (12 to 22 February 2006)	A/HRC/4/40/Add.2
South Africa (September 2005)	E/CN.4/2006/7/Add.3
Canada (June 2005)	E/CN.4/2006/7/Add.2
China (People's Republic of) (September 2004). Follow-up visit	E/CN.4/2005/6/Add.4
Belarus (August 2004)	E/CN.4/2005/6/Add.3
Latvia (February 2004)	E/CN.4/2005/6/Add.2
Argentina (September 2003)	E/CN.4/2004/3/Add.3
Iran,Islamic Republic of (February 2003)	E/CN.4/2004/3/Add.2 and Corr.1
Mexico (November 2002)	E/CN.4/2003/8/Add.3
Australia (June 2002)	E/CN.4/2003/8/Add.2
Bahrain (October 2001)	E/CN.4/2002/77/Add.2
Indonesia (February 1999)	E/CN.4/2000/4/Add.2
Romania (October 1998)	E/CN.4/1999/63/Add.4
United Kingdom (September 1988)	E/CN.4/1999/63/Add.3
Peru (February 1998)	E/CN.4/1999/63/Add.2
China (October 1997)	E/CN.4/1998/44/Add.2
Follow-up visit to Bhutan (April 1996)	E/CN.4/1997/4/Add.3
China (preparatory mission July 1996)	E/CN.4/1997/4 (par.23-35)
Nepal (April 1996)	E/CN.4/1997/4/Add.2
Vietnam (October 1994)	E/CN.4/1995/31/Add.4
Bhutan (October 1994)	E/CN.4/1995/31/Add.3

Visits undertaken in 2009

Malta: 19 to 23 January 2009
Senegal: 5 to 15 September 2009

Forthcoming visits

Armenia
Burkina Faso
Azerbaijan
Georgia
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Malaysia
USA

Requests for Visits

Algeria
Argentina (follow-up visit)
Egypt
Ethiopia
Guinea-Bissau
India
Japan
Morocco
Nauru
Nicaragua (follow-up visit to Bluefields)
Papua New Guinea
Russian Federation
Saudi Arabia
Sierra Leone
Thailand
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan

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