On Monday 24 March 2014, the Human Rights Committee adopted the report of the Special Rapporteur for follow-up to the Concluding Observations (CCPR/C/110/R.1), Fabian Salvioli. The report assessed recent information on the implementation of the Committee’s recommendations in relation to the Netherlands (assessment of additional information received in July 2013); Argentina (assessment of additional information received in August and October 2013); Estonia (assessment of additional information received in July 2013); Norway (assessment of additional information received in June 2013); Armenia (assessment of initial information received in August 2013); Lithuania (assessment of initial information received in July 2013); Bosnia and Herzegovina (assessment of initial information received in November 2013) and Germany (assessment of initial information received in October 2013).
The full report will be available soon.
Despite lack of progress the Committee decided to discontinue the follow-up procedure regarding the Netherlands . It considered that no progress has been made on the law on Termination of Life on Request and Assisted Suicide to ensure its full compliance with the article 6 of ICCPR (grade D1). The assessment also revealed a positive development on the procedure for processing asylum applications (grade B1) while limited progress were made regarding detention conditions in the Bonaire Remand Prison (grade B2)
The Committee also decided to discontinue the follow-up procedure on Norway considering the positive developments on the new national human rights institution (grade B2), the steps to reduce the use of force against mental health patients (grade B1) and concerns on the criteria for “unconditional necessity” of pre-trial detention of children (grade A).
With regards to Armenia, the Committee concluded that since July 2012 no progress has been made on the three recommendations selected for the follow-up procedure -(no investigation on the March 2008’s events (grade C1). no establishment of an independent mechanism to investigate cases of torture (grade C1), and on the reform on the judiciary to ensure its independence (grade C1)).
The assessment of the recommendations on Lithuania (Concluding Observations adopted in July 2012) resulted in mixed reviews. While limited progress has been made on the non-discrimination of LGBT individuals (grade B2), there has been, no progress made on the investigation into allegations of human rights violations in the context of counter-terrorism measures (grade C2) and on the detention for administrative offences (grade C1).
Similarly, the follow-up procedure on Bosnia and Herzegovina showed that the State has not implemented the recommendation on the electoral system that discriminates certain ethnic groups (grade C2). The state has made limited progress on the prosecution of war crimes cases and the psychological support provided to the victims of sexual violence (grade B2). And finally no progress was made on the amendment of the law regarding the remedies in cases of disappearances (grade C1).
The Committee appreciated progress made by Germany, as most of the recommendations have been implemented (suspensive effect of the asylum procedure (grade A); suspension of transfer of asylum seekers to Greece (grade B1); limitation of the post-conviction preventive detention (grade A); and physical restraint measures in residential homes (grade B2).
