UNITED NATIONS CCPR International covenant on civil and political rights Distr. GENERAL CCPR/CO/79/LVA 1 December 2003 Original: ENGLISH HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE Seventy-ninth session CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES UNDER ARTICLE 40 OF THE COVENANT CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE Latvia 1. The Committee examined the second periodic report submitted by Latvia (CCPR/C/LVA/2002/2) at its 2150 to 2152nd meetings, held on 28 and 29 October 2003, and adopted the following concluding observations at its 2162ndnd meeting, held on 5 November 2003. A. Introduction 2. The Committee has examined the detailed and comprehensive report of Latvia. The Committee regrets the delay of over four years in the submission of the report. The Committee is grateful to the delegation of Latvia for providing a substantive amount of information about the implementation of the Covenant in Latvia. Some additional written material received on 3 November 2003 was taken into account by the Committee. B. Positive aspects 3. The Committee welcomes the consistent references to the previous concluding observations in the second periodic report. It further welcomes the publication in the Official Gazette and the Latvian Human Rights Quarterly of the initial report to the Committee, its recommendations and the debate. It welcomes the publication of the Committee’s views in cases concerning Latvia in the Official Gazette. The Committee welcomes the readiness of the State party to implement its views. GE.03-45602