The Human Rights Committee on the morning of 11 July approved its agenda and programme of work at it began its thirty-third session in Geneva. The session was opened by Julio Prado Vallejo (Ecuador) who was elected Committee Chairman at its spring session of 1987.
A partial view of today's meeting.

The Human Rights Committee on the morning of 11 July approved its agenda and programme of work at it began its thirty-third session in Geneva. The session was opened by Julio Prado Vallejo (Ecuador) who was elected Committee Chairman at its spring session of 1987.
At the presiding table are (left to right) Houshmand, Chief, International Instruments Section, Centre for Human Rights; Jan Martenson, Director-General of United Nations Office at Geneva; Julio Prado Vallejo (Equador), President of Committee; and Mrs. H. Klein, E. Tistounet, A. de Zayas of the Centre for Human Rigts.

Czechoslovakia today became a signatory to both International Convenants on tHuman Rights, bringing the total number of signatories of both instruments to 32. The two instruments are the Covenant on Civil and POlitical Rights and the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The instruments were adopted by the General Assembly on 16 December 1966 in resolution 2200 (XXI). When they enter into force, they will require the States Parties to implement the rights and freedoms proclaimed in the UNiversal Declaration of Human Rights. The Covenants will enter into force after 35 countries have deposited instruments of ratification or accession with the Secretary-General.
Vaclav Pleskot, Acting Foreign Minister of Czechoslovakia, sgning the instruments in a brief ceremony at the UN Office of Legal Affairs. Looking on is Mr. C.A. Stavropoulos, the UN Legal Counsel.

Hungary today signed and ratified the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The Convention, adopted by the General Assembly on 21 December 1965 (Resolution 2106 (XX)), binds States which become Parties to "condemn racial discrimination and undertake to pursue, by all appropriate means and without delay, a policy of eliminating racial discrimination in all its forms and promoting understanding among races." The Parties also commit themselves to taking "special and concrete measures to ensure the adequate development and protection of certain racial groups or individuals belonging to them". The Convention provides for the establishment of machinery to oversee the implementation of its provisions.

Mr. Karoly Csatorday, Permanent Representative of Hungary to the United Nations, signing the Convention. Looking on is Mr. C.A. Stavropoulos, Under-Secretary, Legal Counsel of the United Nations. .

India today became the twenty-sixth party to ratify the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which was opened for signature at New York on 7 March 1966.
under the Convention, adopted by the General Assembly 21st September 1965 (resolution 2106 (XX)), States which become Parties "condemn racial discrimination and undertake to pursue, by all appropriate means and without delay, a policy of eliminating racial discrimination in all its forms and promoting understanding among races."
Seen here during the brief ceremony today, from left to right are: Constantin Stavropoulos, UN Legal Counsel; Gopalaswami Parthasarathi, Permanent Representative of India to the UN; and Marc Schreiber, Director, UN Division of Human Rights.