UN Human Rights Treaties

UNITED NATIONS
E
Economic and Social
Council
Distr.
LIMITED
E/CN.4/2003/L.10/Add.14
24 April 2003
Original: ENGLISH
COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
Fifty-ninth session
Agenda item 21 (b)
REPORT TO THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL ON
THE FIFTY-NINTH SESSION OF THE COMMISSION
Draft report of the Commission
Rapporteur: Mr. Branko SOCANAC (Croatia)
CONTENTS*
Chapter Page
XIV. Specific groups and individuals:
(a) Migrant workers;
(b) Minorities;
(c) Mass exoduses and displaced persons;
(d) Other vulnerable groups and individuals ...........................................
* Documents E/CN.4/2003/L.10 and addenda will contain the chapters of the report relating to
the organization of the session and the various items on the agenda. Resolutions and decisions
adopted by the Commission, as well as draft resolutions and decisions for action by, and other
matters of concern to, the Economic and Social Council, will be contained in documents
E/CN.4/2003/L.11 and addenda.
GE.03-13997 (E) 250403
E/CN.4/2003/L.10/Add.14
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XIV. Specific groups and individuals:
(a) Migrant workers;
(b) Minorities;
(c) Mass exoduses and displaced persons;
(d) Other vulnerable groups and individuals
1. The Commission considered agenda item 14 at its 41st meeting, on 10 April, and,
concurrently with items 16 to 20 (see chaps. XVI to XX), at its 47th meeting, on 14 April, at
its 48th and 49th meetings, on 15 April, at its 53rd meeting, on 17 April, at its 55th meeting,
on 22 April 2003, at its 59th meeting, on 23 April, and at its 60th meeting, on 24 April 2003.
2. For the documents issued under agenda item 14, see annex VI to the present report. For a
list of all resolutions and decisions adopted by the Commission and Chairperson’s statements, by
agenda item, see annex V.
3. At the 41st meeting, on 10 April 2003:
(a) The Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, Ms. Gabriela Rodríguez
Pizarro, introduced her report (E/CN.4/2003/85 and Add.1-4);
(b) The Representative of the Secretary-General on internally displaced persons,
Mr. Francis M. Deng, introduced his report (E/CN.4/2003/86 and Add.1-4);
(c) A member of the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund
on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, Ms. Tatiana Matveeva, read a statement on behalf of the
Chairperson of the Board, Swami Agnivesh.
4. In the general debate on agenda item 14, statements were made by members of the
Commission, observers and representatives of non-governmental organizations. For a detailed
list of speakers, see annex III to the present report.
Human rights of migrants
5. At the 59th meeting, on 23 April 2003, the representative of Mexico introduced draft
resolution E/CN.4/2003/L.63, sponsored by Algeria, Armenia, Bangladesh, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chile, the Congo, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Egypt,
El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mexico,
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Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Senegal, Tunisia, Turkey and Uruguay. Argentina,
Bolivia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Georgia, Morocco, Serbia and Montenegro and
Zambia subsequently joined the sponsors.
6. The representative of Mexico orally revised operative paragraph 31 of the draft
resolution.
7. The draft resolution, as orally revised, was adopted without a vote. For the text see
chapter II, section A, resolution 2003/46.
The protection of human rights in the context of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)
8. At the same meeting, the representative of Poland introduced draft
resolution E/CN.4/2003/L.64, sponsored by Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Cameroon,
Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, El Salvador, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Greece,
Guatemala, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malta,
Mexico, Mozambique, the Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia
and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland,
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland. Armenia, Bulgaria, Ecuador, France, Iceland, Nicaragua, Peru, Senegal,
Thailand, Ukraine, the United States of America and Uruguay subsequently joined the sponsors.
9. The draft resolution was adopted without a vote. For the text see chapter II, section A,
resolution 2003/47.
International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers
and Members of Their Families
10. At the same meeting, the representative of Mexico introduced draft
resolution E/CN.4/2003/L.67, sponsored by Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burkina Faso,
Cuba, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Haiti, Mexico, Morocco,
Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Turkey and Uruguay. Chile, the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nicaragua and Timor-Leste subsequently joined the
sponsors.
11. In accordance with rule 28 of the rules of procedure of the functional commissions of the
Economic and Social Council, the attention of the Commission was drawn to the estimated
administrative and programme budget implications of the draft resolution.
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12. Statements in explanation of the position of their delegations were made by the
representatives of Australia, Canada and the United States of America.
13. The draft resolution was adopted without a vote. For the text, see chapter II, section A,
resolution 2003/48.
Human rights of persons with disabilities
14. At the same meeting, the representative of Sweden introduced draft
resolution E/CN.4/2003/L.68, sponsored by Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Australia,
Austria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cameroon,
Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Chile, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland,
France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein,
Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway,
Panama, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Senegal, Serbia and
Montenegro, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, the Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Tunisia,
Turkey, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Uruguay. Armenia,
Belarus, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ireland,
Israel, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Sierra Leone and Ukraine subsequently joined the sponsors.
15. The draft resolution was adopted without a vote. For the text, see chapter II, section A,
resolution 2003/49.
Rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities
16. At the same meeting, the representative of Austria introduced draft
resolution E/CN.4/2003/L.70, sponsored by Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia,
Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark,
Finland, Georgia, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of
Korea, Romania, the Russian Federation, San Marino, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland, the United States of America and Uruguay. Belarus, Ecuador, Eritrea,
Ethiopia, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka and Thailand subsequently joined the sponsors.
17. At the same meeting the representative of Austria revised the draft resolution by deleting
from the eighth preambular paragraph the words “for successful conflict prevention and the
contribution which the special procedures and mechanisms of the Commission on Human Rights
can make in this regard” and inserting the remaining text, after the current ninth preambular
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paragraph as a new preambular paragraph, and by replacing “… and to identifying possible
shortcomings …” with “and to identify possible gaps” in operative paragraph 17. The words “in
particular with respect to situations of tension involving those minorities” should be deleted in
the same paragraph.
18. A statement in connection with the draft resolution was made by the representative of
Pakistan.
19. The draft resolution, as orally revised, was adopted without a vote. For the text, see
chapter II, section A, resolution 2003/50.
Internally displaced persons
20. Also at the same meeting, the representative of Austria introduced draft
resolution E/CN.4/2003/L.71/Rev.1, sponsored by Albania, Andorra, Angola, Argentina,
Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus,
the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany,
Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of
Korea, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Uruguay.
Afghanistan, Australia, Croatia, Eritrea, Nicaragua and Thailand subsequently joined the
sponsors.
21. Statements in connection with the draft resolution were made by the representative of
India.
22. The draft resolution, as orally revised, was adopted without a vote. For the text, see
chapter II, section A, resolution 2003/51.
Human rights and mass exoduses
23. At the 60th meeting, on 24 April 2003, the representative of Canada introduced
draft resolution E/CN.4/2003/L.65, sponsored by Austria, Canada, Cyprus, Finland, Germany,
Greece, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Slovenia,
South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Eritrea,
France, Georgia, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Luxembourg, Nicaragua, Poland, Portugal and Serbia
and Montenegro subsequently joined the sponsors.
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24. At the same meeting the representative of Canada orally revised the second preambular
paragraph by inserting “including in armed conflicts” in line three and replacing “root causes”
with “multiple and complex factors” in the fifth line, and revised operative paragraph 18 by
replacing the words “on the protection of the human rights of refugees and asylum-seekers,
based on the various references to these populations in the” by “of relevant”.
25. At the same meeting the representative of Cuba withdrew its amendment contained in
document E/CN.4/2003/L.102.
26. A statement in connection with the draft resolution was made by the representative of
India.
27. A statement in explanation of his delegation’s position was made by the representative of
the United States of America.
28. The draft resolution, as orally revised, was adopted without a vote. For the text, see
chapter II, section A, resolution 2003/52.
Housing and property restitution in the context of refugees and other displaced persons
29. Also at the same meeting, the Commission considered draft decision 2 recommended
by the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights for adoption by the
Commission (see E/CN.4/2003/2-E/CN.4/Sub.2/2002/46, chap. I).
30. In accordance with rule 28 of the rules of procedure of the functional commissions of the
Economic and Social Council, the attention of the Commission was drawn to the estimated
administrative and programme budget implications of the draft resolution.
31. The draft decision was adopted without a vote. For the text see chapter II, section B,
decision 2003/109.
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