§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they can explain the delay in publication of most of the reports to the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) of the country rapporteurs, thematic rapporteurs and working groups, which still remain unpublished two weeks after the UNHRC's 1998 session began. [HL1373]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean)We understand that the delay in publishing reports to the Commission on Human Rights was a result of mounting pressure of work at the Office of the High Commissioner. The Head of the UK Delegation to the Commission has raised this issue with the High Commissioner. In the event, the Secretariat were able to release all documents before the relevant agenda item was opened for discussion. We are now looking carefully at ways of strengthening the Office of the High Commissioner, a central theme of the Secretary-General's Track II reform programme.