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.

The Permanent Representatives to the UN of nine Member Sates (Brazil, Byelorussia, Central African Republic, Greece, Israel, Philippines, Poland, Ukraine and Soviet Union) this afternoon signed on behalf of their Governments, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Dicrimination. The Convention was prepared by the Commissionon of Human Rights in response to a General Assembly request, first made in resolution 1780 (XVII) of 7 December 1962 and reiterated, with an appeal for an urgent action, in resolution 1906 (XVIII) of 20 November 1963. The nine Member States who signed the instrument today became the first to respond to resolution 2016 (XX) of 21 December 1965 in which the General Assembly, acting on the recommendation of its Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) adopted the Convention and opened it for signature and ratification. Following the signature, the Permanent Representatives of Byelorussia, Poland, Ukraine and the Soviet Union made reservations each in a short separate statement with respect to Article 17 of the Convention dealing witheligibility to become a State Party.
Mr. G.G. Tcherbnouchtchenko (Byelorussia) signing the Convention. At left is Secretary-General U Thant.

The Permanent Representatives to the UN of nine Member Sates (Brazil, Byelorussia, Central African Republic, Greece, Israel, Philippines, Poland, Ukraine and Soviet Union) this afternoon signed on behalf of their Governments, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Dicrimination. The Convention was prepared by the Commissionon of Human Rights in response to a General Assembly request, first made in resolution 1780 (XVII) of 7 December 1962 and reiterated, with an appeal for an urgent action, in resolution 1906 (XVIII) of 20 November 1963. The nine Member States who signed the instrument today became the first to respond to resolution 2016 (XX) of 21 December 1965 in which the General Assembly, acting on the recommendation of its Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) adopted the Convention and opened it for signature and ratification. Following the signature, the Permanent Representatives of Byelorussia, Poland, Ukraine and the Soviet Union made reservations each in a short separate statement with respect to Article 17 of the Convention dealing witheligibility to become a State Party.
Ambassador Michel Gallin-Douathe (Central African Republic) signing the Convention. At left is Secretary-General U Thant, and in the background is Mr. C.A. Stavropoulos, Under-Secretary and Legal Counsel.