3 December 1982

Report of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination: general recommendation VI

The General Assembly,

Taking note of decision 1 (XXV) of 15 March 1982 of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, entitled "general recommendation VI",

Acknowledging the burden which reporting obligations under international instruments places upon States parties, especially those with limited technical and administrative resources,

Convinced, none the less, that the value of international conventions relies upon the full and conscientious implementation of the obligations undertaken upon ratification or accession,

Noting with concern that many periodic reports due under article 9 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination are outstanding and that in some cases initial reports are several years overdue,

1. Appeals to all States parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination to fulfil their obligations under article 9 of the Convention and to submit their reports within the appropriate time;

2. Requests the Secretary-General to invite the views and observations of States parties to the Convention on the causes of the situation described in general recommendation VI of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and to submit an analysis of the replies received in a report to the General Assembly at its thirty-eighth session, together with such suggestions as he might wish to make with a view to improving the situation;

3. Also requests the Secretary-General, in preparing his report, to consider the situation described in general recommendation VI of the Committee in the overall framework of reporting obligations that Member States have under the various human rights instruments in order to be able to take into account similar and related problems which may have arisen in compliance with such obligations;

4. Further requests the Secretary-General to submit his report, together with the records of the General Assembly's consideration thereof, to the ninth meeting of the States parties to the Convention, to be held in 1984.