5th Inter-Committee Meeting and 18th Meeting of Chairpersons of Human Rights Treaty Bodies

The annual Meeting of Chairpersons of the Human Rights Treaty Bodies provides a forum for members of the seven human rights treaty bodies:

• Human Rights Committee
• Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
• Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
• Committee on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women
• Committee against Torture
• Committee on the Rights of the Child
• Committee on Migrant Workers

to discuss their work and consider ways to enhance the effectiveness of the treaty body system as a whole. Issues addressed at these meetings have included, among other things, the streamlining and overall improvement of human rights reporting procedures, harmonisation of the Committee's methods of work, follow-up to World Conferences, and financial issues.

Since 2002, an Inter-Committee Meeting, consisting of the chairpersons plus two members of each of the committees, has also been convened to discuss these issues.

Annual Meeting of Chairpersons

In response to reports from several of the treaty bodies, the General Assembly, in 1983, called on the chairpersons of human rights treaty bodies to meet in order to discuss how to enhance the work of the treaty bodies. The first meeting of chairpersons took place in 1984. Since 1995, the chairpersons of human rights treaty bodies have met annually.

Since 1999, the chairpersons have convened a meeting with special procedures mandate holders (both thematic and country mandates) of the Commission on Human Rights. Their discussions have focused on technical questions, such as increasing the exchange of information between treaty bodies and special procedures. Substantive issues, including the effect of globalization on the enjoyment of human rights (2003) and counter-terrorism measures and human rights (2004), have also been discussed.

Informal consultations with States parties as well as UN partners and NGOs have also been a feature of the meeting of chairpersons.

The Inter-Committee Meeting

The first Inter-Committee Meeting, which includes the chairpersons and two additional members from each of the Committees, was held in Geneva in 2002. Harmonisation of working methods among Committees was the main focus of the first Inter-Committee Meeting. The increased the level of participation of each of the committees allowed for more detailed discussion of recommendations on issues relating to working methods than had been possible in the Annual Chairpersons Meeting because of time constraints.

The Inter-Committee Meeting and meeting of chairpersons is usually chaired by the same person, who is one of the chairpersons of the human rights treaty bodies chosen on a rotational basis.

Treaty body reform

Louise Arbour, High-Commissioner or Human Rights, is expected to present an offical paper on the reform of the treaty bodies during the Inter-Committee meeting.

On 20th June, the Inter-Committee Meeting will consult with NGOs on the issue of treaty body reform.

Further information

• NGO Letter to Louise Arbour on the treaty body reform (30 November 2006)
• OHCHR online debate on the treaty body reform