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UN Human Rights Committee Set to Conclude Meeting
April 2, 2004 | Comments Off on UN Human Rights Committee Set to Conclude Meeting
On April 3, 2004, the Human Rights Committee will conclude its meeting, which began on March 16 in New York. The Human Rights Committee evaluates the compliance of a State Party with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). State Parties are required to regularly submit reports regarding their compliance, which are then evaluated by the independent experts comprising the HRC. In this meeting, the HRC planned to examine Germany, Lithuania, Suriname, and Uganda.
India submitted its last report, which was due in 1992, in 1996. It was evaluated in July 1997 in a series of three meetings (1, 2, 3). In its concluding observations, the HRC expressed concern over the reservations made by India to specific articles of the Covenant; the reliance on special powers granted through anti-terrorism legislation such as the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and the National Security Act; the requirement of prosecution sanction in order to bring criminal or civil proceedings against members of the security and armed forces; and police abuse, among other issues.
India’s next report is long overdue. In addition to delays in compliance with treaty reporting obligations, India has long prevented UN human rights mechanisms from accessing India. Ram Narayan Kumar’s article discusses attempts to address accountability issues in Punjab through UN mechanisms.
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