The Thai delegation, led by Mr. Charnchao Chaiyanukij, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, will make an oral submission of the report to the Human Rights Committee under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) during 13 - 14 March 2017 in Geneva. 

 

                     The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, or ICCPR, as part of the International Bill of Human Rights, was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 16 December 1966 and became effective since 23 March 1976. To date, there are 115 States Parties to the Covenant with 4 other signatory States. Thailand became party to the ICCPR on 29 October 1996 which came into force as of 29 January 1997. 

 

                      ICCPR stipulates respect for civil and political rights of all citizens including freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, electoral rights and rights to fair judicial process. States Parties are required to report their practices under the provisions of ICCPR to the Human Rights Committee under the Covenant. 

 

                      The Human Rights Committee comprises 18 elected members who are nationals of the State Parties to the Covenant. They are recognised for their competence in the field of human rights. The current Committee members come from Paraguay, Tunisia, Latvia, the United States of America, Egypt, France, South Africa, Japan, Montenegro, Mauritius, Canada, Germany, Portugal, Israel, Suriname, Italy, Greece and Uganda. 

 

                     At the 119th meeting of the Committee to be held during 6 – 29 March 2017, six countries will submit their oral reports, namely Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Serbia, Thailand, Turkmenistan and Bangladesh. 

 

                     The oral submission of the report to the Human Rights Committee under the Covenant in Geneva is a common practice that each party to the convention is required to perform periodically. It is not a platform to deliver criticism but rather for dialogue between the state delegation and the committee to recognise both past achievements and remaining gaps for further improvement. It is a normal practice which is similarly required by the provisions of other international legal instruments on human rights to which Thailand has previously submitted its reports, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Culture Rights (ICESCR) on 4 – 5 June 2015, and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) on 30 - 31 March 2016. Later in July this year, Thailand will also submit its report as required by the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).