TNAG-1187-FCO40-1489-Hong-Kong-s-closed-camp-policy-for-Vietnamese-refugees-1982 — Page 15

INTRODUCTION

}

TERMS OF REFERENCE

1. At its twelfth session, the Commission on Human Rights, recogniz- ing that studies of specific rights or groups of rights “are necessary for the purpose of ascertaining the existing conditions, the results obtained and the difficulties encountered in the work of States Members of the United Nations and of the specialized agencies for the wider observance of, and respect for, human rights and fundamental freedoms", decided to undertake such studies and "to stress in these studies general developments, progress achieved and measures taken to safeguard human liberty, with such recom- mendations of an objective and general character as may be necessary". The Commission further decided "to select, subject to the approval of the Economic and Social Council, as its first subject for study, the right of everyone to be free from arbitrary arrest, detention and exile". Subsequently, the Council in resolution 624 B (XXII) approved the first subject for special study as selected by the Commission.

COMPOSI 1 OF THE COMMITTEE

2. The Commission appointed a committee of four of its members to prepare a study, it being agreed that the members of the committee would be States represented on the Commission, not individuals. At its twelfth session the Commission elected Chile, Norway, Pakistan and the Philip- pines as members of the Committee. At its thirteenth session (1957) the Commission elected Argentina and Ceylon to replace Chile and Pakistan, which had ceased to be members of the Committee on the expiry of their terms of office on the Commission. In 1959 the Commission similarly elected Belgium to replace Norway, and in 1960 it elected Pakistan to replace Ceylon and in 1961 the Netherlands was elected to replace Belgium. "

3

3. After its appointment the Committee elected Mr. Felixberto M. Serrano of the Philippines as its Chairman-Rapporteur. In 1958 the Committee elected Mr. Francisco A. Delgado, who had succeeded Mr. Ser- rano as the representative of the Philippines on the Commission on Human

1 Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, Twenty-second Session, Supple- ment No. 3, para. 82.

2 Ibid., Twenty-fourth Session, Supplement No. 8, para. 121.

3 Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, Twenty-sixth Session, Supple- ment No. 8, para. 166; Thirtieth Session, Supplement No. 8, para. 33; and Thirty-second Session, Supplement No. 8, para. 50,

I

I

J

L

୮

Page 15Page 16