Provisional programme Strengthening the UN human rights treaty monitoring system: what are the next steps? Wednesday 14 Friday 16 January 2015 WP1375

Transcription

1 Provisional programme Strengthening the UN human rights treaty monitoring system: what are the next steps? Wednesday 14 Friday 16 January 2015 WP1375 The implementation of each of the ten core UN human rights treaties is monitored by a committee of independent experts. This monitoring system should ensure that every State Party to a treaty is fulfilling its obligations for all persons to enjoy the fundamental rights set out in the treaty. For some years, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights coordinated a multi-stakeholder consultation, known as the Dublin process, to generate ideas for strengthening the UN treaty body system. More recently, a separate intergovernmental process was established on this topic, which culminated in the adoption of a resolution on Strengthening and enhancing the effective functioning of the human rights treaty body system (A/Res/68/268) in April While this outcome is significant, many important issues remain unresolved. Bringing together representatives from government and civil society globally, together with experts from the UN system and national human rights systems, the meeting aims to: Take stock of recent developments in strengthening the UN human rights monitoring system, and how these may be best implemented in follow up to the General Assembly s resolution of April 2014; Identify what major outstanding issues need to be addressed, and how this could best be done; Examine, in particular, how to achieve greater compliance by states with their reporting and human rights obligations under the treaties, especially greater oversight of implementation of recommendations made by monitoring bodies to ensure treaty bodies have maximum impact on the promotion and protection of human rights. In association with the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oslo and Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Berne (Speakers invited and themes proposed * denotes to be confirmed) Participation in this meeting is by invitation only In association with: EB

2 Wednesday 14 January 1530 Participants arrive 1600 Tea/coffee 1630 Welcome and introduction Isobelle Jaques Programme Director, Wilton Park, Steyning Patrick Egloff Head, UNGA/ECOSOC Office, Division of International Organisations, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Berne Petter Wille Ambassador, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oslo Strengthening the UN treaty monitoring system: what are the continuing challenges and opportunities Malcolm Evans Member and Chair, UN Subcommittee for the Prevention of Torture; Chair ( ) of the Meeting of Chairs on UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies; Professor, International Law, University of Bristol 1900 Reception followed by dinner Thursday 15 January Breakfast Independence, impartiality and integrity of the treaty monitoring system: how can this best be maintained? How best to ensure compliance with the Addis Ababa guidelines? How to interpret conventional rights in relation to national authorities? Felice Gaer Vice-Chairperson, Committee against Torture; Director, Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights, New York Marius Emberland Attorney, Office of the Attorney General, Civil Affairs, Oslo Tea/coffee and photograph Building on recent reforms to the system (GA resolution 68/268), how could the working methods of treaty monitoring bodies be further improved? Dzidek Kedzia Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; Professor, Constitutional Law, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań Grigory Lukiyantsev Deputy Director, Department of Humanitarian Cooperation and Human Rights, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Moscow Lunch

3 Plenary introduction followed by parallel working groups on working methods Tea/coffee (i) What more can be done to enable treaty monitoring bodies to consider states reports and individual communications in a reasonable period of time? Nahla Haidar Member, Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, Beirut (ii) Aligning the work of treaty monitoring bodies among themselves and harmonising their activity with other human rights mechanisms or institutions, including the Universal Periodic Review, Human Rights Council and regional frameworks: what now can or should be done? Subhas Gujadhur Director, Universal Rights Group, Geneva (iii) Engaging with rights-holders and others to obtain more evidence-based information: how is this best done? Lisa Myers Director, Child Rights Connect, Geneva (iv) What is the role of General Comments or General Recommendations? How can implementation of these be made more effective? Olivier de Frouville Member, UN Human Rights Committee; Professor, Université Panthéon-Assas Paris II, Paris Improving the system through better implementation of treaty monitoring bodies recommendations at national level: what needs to be done to increase impact on the ground? What is the linkage between treaty bodies working methods and improved implementation at national level? Michael O Flaherty Member, Human Rights Committee ( ); Established Professor of Human Rights Law; Director, Irish Centre for Human Rights, National University of Ireland, Galway Gabriela Kletzel Director, International Team, Centre for Legal and Social Studies (CELS), Buenos Aires Report back from working groups at session Reception followed by dinner Friday 16 January Breakfast and checkout

4 Plenary introduction followed by parallel working groups looking at implementation at the national level (i) How can treaty monitoring bodies themselves exercise greater oversight on compliance at national level? Nigel Rodley Chair, Human Rights Committee; Professor of Law and Chair, Human Rights Centre, University of Essex, Colchester (ii) What needs to be done to create greater public awareness and outreach? Vincent Ploton Head of External Relations, Centre for Civil and Political Rights, Geneva (iii) Mainstreaming treaty body recommendations across the work of the UN and promoting coordination with other international or regional organisations: what measures are needed? Dimiter Chalev Head, Tunisia Country Office, United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Tunis (iv) Should states establish national mechanisms for coordination with treaty monitoring bodies and improving implementation at the national level? Emily Howie Director, Advocacy and Research, Human Rights Law Centre (HRLC), Melbourne Report back from working groups at session Tea/coffee Going beyond the existing system: where do the priorities lie and what are the next steps? 1245 Lunch 1400 Participants depart Ibrahim Salama Director, Human Rights Treaties Division, United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Geneva Christen Broecker Associate Director; Director of Research, Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights, New York Anastasia Crickley Vice Chair, Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination; Head, Department of Applied Social Studies, Maynooth University, National University of Ireland, Maynooth

5 This is a preview programme and as such may be subject to change. This is an invitation only conference. Enquiries about participation to: Lisa Elvy, Project Manager Wilton Park, Wiston House, Steyning, West Sussex. BN44 3DZ Telephone: +44 (0) Fax: +44 (0) lisa.elvy@wiltonpark.org.uk Enquiries about the programme to: Isobelle Jaques, Programme Director Wilton Park, Wiston House, Steyning, West Sussex. BN44 3DZ Telephone: +44 (0) Fax: +44 (0) isobelle.jaques@wiltonpark.org.uk