Committee to Consider Human Rights Situation in United States
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination will hold its 72nd session in Geneva, Switzerland from February 18 to March 7 to review anti-discrimination efforts undertaken by the various parties to the Convention, including the Government of the United States.
The U.S. is among the 173 State parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination. The 18 member Committee, the first body created by the United Nations to review actions by States to fulfill obligations under a specific human rights
agreement, examines reports submitted periodically by States parties on efforts to comply with the Convention. Government representatives generally present the report, discuss its contents with Committee members, and answer questions.
The Timetable for Opening/Closing Meetings and Consideration of State Party Reports:
Monday February 18 - NGO Meetings with the CERD Committee
Wednesday February 20- NGO Meetings with CERD Committee and Special Rapporteur
Thursday February 21 - United States: fourth to sixth periodic reports considered
Friday February 22 - United States (continued)
Friday March 7 - Adoption of concluding observations; public closing
MCHR Members Testifying in Geneva
Non-governmental organizations have the opportunity to be a part of the UN Committee's review of the United States by testifying at the hearings. The role of NGOs is to address the omissions, deficiencies, or inaccuracies in the official government reports. Such information is often vital to assisting U.N. experts in their assessment of a government’s compliance with international human rights treaties.
A number of Midwest Coalition members will be testifying in Geneva, including representatives from the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, Northwestern University, the Coalition to Protect Public Housing, and Joey Mogul, an attorney with the People's Law Office in Chicago.
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For more information on 72nd Session of the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, please visit the United Nations website.
Read to the full periodic report submitted by the Government of the United States to the U.N. CERD.
Read the full NGO Shadow Report
Read the Center on Housing Rights and Evictions' (COHRE) Shadow Report
More information and resources on getting involved with the CERD process.
