UNITED NATIONS CERD International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination Distr. GENERAL CERD/C/PAK/CO/20 16 March 2009 Original: ENGLISH COMMITTEE ON THE ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION Seventy-fourth session 16 February – 6 March 2009 CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES UNDER ARTICLE 9 OF THE CONVENTION Concluding observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination PAKISTAN 1. The Committee considered the fifteenth to twentieth periodic reports of Pakistan (CERD/C/PAK/20), submitted in one document, at its 1910th and 1911th meetings (CERD/C/SR.1910 and CERD/C/SR.1911), held on 19 and 20 February 2009. At its 1927th and 1928th meetings (CERD/C/SR.1927 and CERD/C/SR.1928), held on 4 March 2009, it adopted the following concluding observations. A. Introduction 2. The Committee welcomes the submission of the combined fifteenth to twentieth periodic report and the opportunity thus offered to resume the dialogue with the State party. It also expresses appreciation for the frank and sincere dialogue held with the delegation and the efforts made to provide responses to many questions raised in the list of issues and posed by Committee members during the dialogue. 3. Noting that the report was almost ten years overdue when submitted, the Committee invites the State party to observe the deadlines set for the submission of its reports in the future. GE.09-41114