Human Rights Committee Concludes One Hundred and Forty-Fifth Session, Adopts Annual Report and Concluding Observations on Reports of Andorra, Canada, Chad, the Republic of[...]

The Human Rights Committee this afternoon concluded its one hundred and forty-fifth session after adopting concluding observations on the reports of Andorra, Canada, Chad, the Republic of Moldova and Slovakia, and its annual report.

Presenting the annual report, Committee Rapporteur Ivan Šimonović said that the report covered the Committee's one hundred and forty-fourth and one hundred and forty-fifth sessions. The Committee had been unable to hold its autumn session last year due to the United Nations' financial and liquidity crisis. Despite these challenging circumstances, the Committee accomplished an extraordinary amount of work.

As of today, 175 States were parties to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Mr. Šimonović said. The Rapporteur congratulated Oman on ratifying the Covenant in December 2025. Some 116 States were parties to the Optional Protocol to the Covenant on individual communications and there were 92 States parties to the Second Optional Protocol, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty.

During the period under review, the Committee held constructive dialogues with 12 delegations of States parties, namely Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kazakhstan, Latvia, North Macedonia, Spain, Viet Nam, Andorra, Canada, Chad, the Republic of Moldova and Slovakia. The Committee noted positive developments as well as areas of concern and made recommendations to address them. Country report task forces also met during both sessions to consider and adopt a list of issues on the report of Rwanda and lists of issues prior to reporting regarding Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denmark, Ghana, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Morocco, Senegal, Sweden and Switzerland, Mr. Šimonović said.

At both sessions, the Special Rapporteur for follow-up on concluding observations submitted interim reports to the Committee. During the one hundred and forty-fourth session, the Committee reviewed Armenia and Germany under the follow-up process, while during the current one hundred and forty-fifth session, it reviewed Botswana, Cambodia and Ukraine.

At the one hundred and forty-fourth session, Mr. Šimonović reported, the Committee adopted decisions related to 66 individual communications. Of those, 38 were decided on the merits and five were declared inadmissible. Twenty-three other communications were discontinued. Regarding the cases decided on the merits, the Committee found violations in 37 of them.

During the current session, the Committee had adopted decisions related to 45 individual communications. Of those, 34 were decided on the merits and 11 were declared inadmissible. Twenty other communications were discontinued. Regarding the cases decided on the merits, the Committee found violations in all 34 of them. The Committee continued to successfully apply its multifaceted strategy aimed at addressing the high number of communications pending consideration and adoption. Also during the current session, the Special Rapporteur for follow-up on Views submitted interim reports to the Committee covering 14 Views relating to Australia, Finland, Maldives, Nepal, Spain and Sweden.

Mr. Šimonović said that, in accordance with the Covenant, the United Nations Secretary-General had the duty to provide the Committee with the staff and facilities necessary for the effective performance of its functions. The Committee reiterated its deep concern regarding the persistent shortage of staff resources and emphasised the critical importance of allocating adequate personnel to support its sessions. The number of meetings during the reporting period was reduced from three to two and their duration was shortened.

While the Committee endeavoured to address these challenges through increased efforts and the adoption of innovative working methods, it had now exhausted all remaining methodological adjustments capable of compensating for the lack of resources for its meetings and support. Should the current funding situation persist, the Committee would be unable to fully discharge its mandate under the Covenant, he concluded.

In his closing remarks, Changrok Soh, Committee Chairperson, said that during the session, the Committee had held constructive dialogues with the delegations of each of the States parties reviewed. In all reviews, the Committee had noted positive developments, identified concerns and made recommendations. The concluding observations would be issued on the session's webpagelater today or Monday.

The Committee had also adopted a list of issues on Rwanda, as well as a list of issues prior to reporting regarding Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Mexico and Senegal. Lists of issues on the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Czech Republic would be adopted at the next session.

Mr. Soh said that at its one hundred and forty-fourth session, the Committee decided to develop a new general comment on the right of association under article 22 of the Covenant, and had this session completed its first reading of the draft text prepared by the Rapporteur, Committee Expert Hélène Tigroudja, with members offering thoughtful and substantive contributions. The Committee's draft text would be shared with stakeholders, including Member States, in the coming week to solicit their input ahead of the second reading at the next session.

During the session, Mr. Soh reported, the Committee, with a view to further strengthening its relationship with other treaty bodies, held a meeting with members of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances, during which members of the Committees discussed issues of mutual interest. He also reported that the Committee had adopted its annual report reflecting its work undertaken during its previous and current sessions.

Mr. Soh also reported that, at its one hundred and forty-sixth session, pending confirmation from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Committee would review the periodic reports of Austria, Cameroon, Jamaica and Rwanda, and adopt lists of issues prior to reporting on Bahrain, the Czech Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, El Salvador and Romania.

In closing, Mr. Soh thanked Committee Experts for the advice, guidance and wisdom they offered throughout the session. He also expressed appreciation to the Committee's secretariat, United Nations entities, human rights institutions and civil society organizations that had supported the Committee throughout the session, acknowledging the important role played by the CCPR Centre in facilitating in person and online engagements with national and local civil society organizations. Further, he expressed gratitude to all persons who contributed to making the Committee's session successful.

In turn, several Experts took the floor to highlight the progress made by the Committee during challenging circumstances and thank the Chair and all those who had contributed to the session.

All documents relating to the Committee's work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session's webpage. Meeting summary releases can be found here. The webcast of the Committee's public meetings can be accessed via the UN Web TV webpage.

The dates of the Committee's one hundred and forty-sixth session are yet to be confirmed. They will be announced at a later date on the Committee's website.

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