Human Rights Committee | Ensure gender parity at upcoming elections

In September 2020, during the 38th Meeting of States Parties to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), States Parties will elect nine experts to the Human Rights Committee (HR Ctte). The current composition of the HR Ctte shows that there is no gender balance in its membership, with only five women on the 18-member Committee. In the last election in 2018, women members decreased in number from eight to six.

In the upcoming election, States must take into account gender parity when voting for the membership of the Human Rights Committee. They should also select experts who are acknowledged in the field and have the expertise and independence required to fulfill the Committee’s mandate.

Together with Gqual, American Civil Liberties Unions (ACLU), Amnesty International, Human Rights in China, ILGA World, Mena Rights Group, REDRESS, TB-Net (Centre for Civil and Political Rights (CCPR Centre); Child Rights Connect; Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR); International Disability Alliance (IDA); International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR); International Women’s Rights Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW-AP); World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and Women’s Link Worldwide, ISHR sent a letter to the States Parties to the ICCPR to draw attention to this situation and recommend that they take into consideration General Assembly Resolution 68/268 (2014), on Strengthening and enhancing the effective functioning of the human rights treaty body system and the Committee’s own General Recommendation No. 28 on equality of rights between men and women (article 3).

Read the letter here.