New Procedures concerning the Human Rights Committee's Examination of State Reports

Abstract

This article discusses two new procedures of the Human Rights Committee in its examination of State Party reports under Article 40 ICCPR: its adoption of consensus comments on each State report and its use of a special ‘emergency report’ procedure in situations where emergency human rights crises are occurring. It is argued that agreement over the adoption of both procedures, which epitomise a more purposeful approach by the HRC to its exercise of powers under the ICCPR, were facilitated by the end of the Cold War. The paper then discusses and assesses both new procedures in turn including comment on the previous relevant practice.