Open-ended working group on an optional protocol to the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
(Geneva, 23 February - 5 March 2004)

First session

Informal consultations

The Chairperson-designate, Mrs. Catarina Albuquerque, will be holding informal consultations concerning preparations for the working group with representatives of all Permanent Missions and Observer Missions to the United Nations on 22 January 2004 between 10:00 and 13:00 in Room 8, Palais des Nations.

Mandate

 The Commission on Human Rights established the working group by its resolution 2003/18. 

In paragraph 13 of that resolution, the Commission requested “the working group to meet for a period of 10 working days, prior to the sixtieth session of the Commission, with a view to considering options regarding the elaboration of an optional protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, in the light, inter alia, of the report of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to the Commission on a draft optional protocol (E/CN.4/1997/105, annex), comments and views submitted by States, intergovernmental organizations, including United Nations specialized agencies, and non-governmental organizations, and the reports of the independent expert (E/CN4/2002/57 and E/CN.4/2003/53, Corr.1 and Corr.2)”. 

Participants

The working group is an open-ended working group.  This means that all UN Member and Observer States, inter-governmental organizations and non-governmental organizations with ECOSOC consultative status may attend public meetings of the working group. 

Documentation

The provisional agenda of the session will be available as document E/CN.4/2004/WG.23/1.   

All in-session and background documents ready prior to the session will be available on the internet.  Documents will also be available in the meeting room of the working group throughout the session. 

Dates

The working group will meet from 23 February to 5 March 2004. 

Location

The working group will take place in Room XVII at the Palais des Nations, Geneva. 

Time

The working group will have two daily sessions from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 18:00. 

Registration and accreditation

Experts and representatives of States, United Nations bodies, specialized agencies and other organizations including non-governmental organizations in possession of an identity badge issued by UNOG Security and Safety Section, valid for the duration of the session, will have unrestricted access to the working group.

Any other person without a UNOG identity badge should apply for accreditation to the session.

States and organizations wishing to accredit representatives to the first session of the working group are invited to complete the registration form and send it, together with their request for accreditation duly signed to Simon Walker either by fax on 022 917 90 10 or by mail to UNOG-OHCHR, CH-1211 Geneva 10.

Registration prior to the session will ensure that a badge will be available from 9am on 23 February 2004 at the Villa les Feuillantines, 8-14 Avenue de la Paix, 1211, Geneva, opposite the Palais des Nations.  The accreditation office at the Villa les Feuillantines will remain open from 9:00 to 2:00 during the session.