ANNEXES General Recommendation VI (25th session, 1982) The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Recognizing the fact that an impressive number of States has ratified, or acceded to, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, Bearing in mind, however, that ratification alone does not enable the control system set up by the Convention to function effectively, Recalling that article 9 of the Convention obliges States Parties to submit initial and periodic reports on the measures that give effect to the provisions of the Convention, Stating that at present no less than 89 reports are overdue from 62 States, that 42 of those reports are overdue from 15 States, each with two or more outstanding reports, and that four initial reports which were due between 1973 and 1978 have not been received, Noting with regret that neither reminders sent through the Secretary-General to States Parties nor the inclusion of the relevant information in the annual reports to the General Assembly has had the desired effect, in all cases, Bearing in mind the preventive aspects of article 4 to deter racism and racial discrimination as well as activities aimed at their promotion or incitement, 1. Recommends that those States Parties whose legislation does not satisfy the provisions of article 4 (a) and (b) of the Convention take the necessary steps with a view to satisfying the mandatory requirements of that article; 2. Requests that those States Parties which have not yet done so inform the Committee more fully in their periodic reports of the manner and extent to which the provisions of article 4 (a) and (b) are effectively implemented and quote the relevant parts of the texts in their reports; 3. Further requests those States Parties which have not yet done so to endeavour to provide in their periodic reports more information concerning decisions taken by the competent national tribunals and other State institutions regarding acts of racial discrimination and in particular those offences dealt with in article 4 (a) and (b). General Recommendation VIII concerning the interpretation and application of article 1, paragraphs 1 and 4, of the Convention (38th session, 1990) The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Invites the General Assembly: (a) to take note of the situation; (b) to use its authority in order to ensure that the Committee could more effectively fulfil its obligations under the Convention. General Recommendation VII relating to the implementation of Article 4 of the Convention (32nd session, 1985) The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Having considered periodic reports of States Parties for a period of 16 years, and in over 100 cases sixth, seventh and eighth periodic reports of States Parties, Recalling and reaffirming its General Recommendation I of 24 February 1972 and its decision 3 (VII) of 4 May 1973, Noting with satisfaction that in a number of reports States Parties have provided information on specific cases dealing with the implementation of article 4 of the Convention with regard to acts of racial discrimination, Noting, however, that in a number of States Parties the necessary legislation to implement article 4 of the Convention has not been enacted, and that many States Parties have not yet fulfilled all the requirements of article 4 (a) and (b) of the Convention, Further recalling that, in accordance with the first paragraph of article 4, States Parties undertake to adopt immediate and positive measures designed to eradicate all incitement to, or acts of, such discrimination , with due regard to the principles embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the rights expressly set forth in article 5 of the Convention, 28 Having considered reports from States Parties concerning information about the ways in which individuals are identified as being members of a particular racial or ethnic groups or groups, Is of the opinion that such identification shall, if no justification exists to the contrary, be based upon self-identification by the individual concerned. General Recommendation IX concerning the application of Article 8, paragraph 1, of the Convention (38th session, 1990) The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Considering that respect for the independence of the experts is essential to secure full observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms, Recalling article 8, paragraph 1, of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, Alarmed by the tendency of the representatives of States, organizations and groups to put pressure upon experts, especially those serving as country rapporteurs, Strongly recommends that they respect unreservedly the status of its members as independent experts of acknowledged impartiality serving in their personal capacity. General Recommendation X concerning technical assistance (39th session, 1991) The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Taking note of the recommendation of the third meeting of persons chairing the human rights treaty bodies, as endorsed by ICERD: A GUIDE FOR NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS