Parliamentary Meeting on the occasion of the 58th SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

	The United Nations Commission on Human Rights held its 58th session in Geneva from 18 March to 26 April 2002. At the request of many of its members, the Inter-Parliamentary Union decided to hold a Parliamentary Meeting on this occasion. The Meeting was organised by the IPU with the assistance of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The Parliamentry Meeting took place on 8 April 2002 in Room XXV at the Palais des Nations in Geneva and was open to all MPs who travelled to Geneva specifically for the purpose of participating in the Parliamentary Meeting the as well as to those who attended the Commission's session as members of their national delegation. The Meeting was convened to inform MPs about the functioning of the Commission by highlighting themes and mechanisms of particular interest to their work, as well as the mandate of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The event was also designed to provide MPs with an opportunity for an exchange of views on what they can do to promote and protect human rights. The provisional programme of the Parliamentary Meeting is reproduced below. Relevant documents (convocation, practical information note, registration form) can be downloaded from this page in PDF format.

Parliamentary Meeting documents Convocation (PDF) Practical information note (PDF) Registration form (PDF) Related sites and documents Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights IPU Council resolutions on human rights of parliamentarians

Note: Documents in PDF format require Adobe Acrobat Reader

PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME OF THE PARLIAMENTARY MEETING Palais des Nations, Room XXV, 8 April 2002
	Chairperson: Mr. Jacques Lefevre, President of the Human Rights Committee of the House of Representatives of Belgium
9.30 a.m. to 10 a.m.	Opening session: - Welcome address by Anders B. Johnsson, Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union - Opening statement by Ms. Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
10 a.m. to 11.15 a.m.	Introduction to the work and structure of the UN Commission on Human Rights and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Ms. María Francesca Ize-Charrin, Secretary of the UN Commission on Human Rights A civil society perspective on the work of the Commission: Mr. Mark Thomson, Secretary General of the Association for the Prevention of Torture General discussion
11.15 a.m.to 12.30 p.m.	Parliamentarians as guardians and practitioners of the right to freedom of expression: Mr. Abid Hussain, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression, India General discussion
12.30 p.m.to 1.00 p.m.	Option to attend session of the Commission on Human Rights (Room XVII). Agenda item 11: Civil and Political rights
2.30 p.m. to 3.45 p.m.	Parliamentary action to ensure the independence of the judiciary and the good administration of justice, Mr. Param Cumaraswamy: UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Malaysia General discussion
3.45 p.m. to 4 p.m.	Break
4 p.m. to 5 p.m.	Parliamentary action to ensure the right to education: Ms. Katarina Tomasevski, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, Croatia General discussion
5.00 p.m.to 5.15 p.m.	Closing remarks by the Chairperson
12.30 p.m.to 1.00 p.m.	Option to attend session of the Commission on Human Rights (Room XVII). Agenda item 11: Civil and Political rights
6 p.m.to 7.30 p.m.	Reception for parliamentarians hosted by the High Commissioner for Human Rights at the Restaurant des délégués on the 8th floor of the Palais des Nations