For information only - not an official document
UNIS/MA/148
12 October 2016
Re-issued as received
GENEVA/VIENNA (12 October 2016) - Slovakia's human rights record will be reviewed by the UN Human Rights Committee on 17 and 18 October in Geneva. As one of the 168 States that have ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Slovakia is required to undergo review by the Committee on how it is implementing the Covenant.
The Committee, which is composed of 18 international independent members, will discuss a range of issues relating to the ICCPR with a delegation from the Slovakian Government. Members will also be briefed by NGO representatives. The Committee's meetings with the delegation are public and will take place on 17 October from 15:00 - 18:00 and 18 October from 10:00 - 13:00 at Palais Wilson in Geneva, in the Ground Floor Meeting Room. The meetings are public and will be webcast at http://webtv.un.org/.
Slovakia has submitted a report to the Committee on the implementation of its human rights obligations, and a number of non-governmental organisations have also sent reports for the Committee's consideration. More information here: http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=1034&Lang=en
The Committee will hold a news conference at 13:30 on 4 November at the Palais des Nations in Geneva to discuss its findings on Slovakia and the other countries being reviewed - Poland, Moldova, Jamaica, Colombia, Azerbaijan, and Morocco. The findings, officially known as concluding observations, will be published on 4 November here:
http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=1034&Lang=en
ENDS
For more information and media requests, please contact: Liz Throssell +41 (0) 22 917 9466 / +41 79 752 0488 ethrossell[at]ohchr.org
Background
Human Rights Committee members are independent human rights experts drawn from around the world, who serve in their personal capacity and not as representatives of States parties. The Committee's concluding observations are an independent assessment of States' compliance with their human rights obligations under the treaty. More information: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CCPR/Pages/CCPRIndex.aspx
50 years of the International Bill of Human Rights
2016 marks the 50 th anniversary of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). These treaties, together with the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, form the International Bill of Rights. A campaign by the UN Human Rights Office, entitled "Our Rights, Our Freedoms, Always", is running throughout the year to promote and raise awareness of the two treaties, focussing on the timeless themes of rights and freedoms, in particular freedom from fear, freedom of speech, freedom of worship and freedom from want. Check the campaign website at http://2covenants.ohchr.org
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