CCPR UNITED NATIONS International covenant on civil and political rights Distr. GENERAL CCPR/C/BIH/CO/1 22 November 2006 Original: ENGLISH Human Rights Committee Eighty-eighth session Geneva, 16 October-3 November 2006 CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES UNDER ARTICLE 40 OF THE COVENANT Concluding observations of the Human Rights Committee Bosnia and Herzegovina 1. The Committee considered the initial report submitted by Bosnia and Herzegovina (CCPR/C/BIH/1) at its 2402nd, 2403rd and 2404th meetings (CCPR/C/SR.2402, 2403 and 2404), held on 18 and 19 October 2006, and adopted the following concluding observations at its 2419th meeting (CCPR/C/SR.2419), held on 1 November 2006. A. Introduction 2. The Committee welcomes the submission, albeit late, of the State party’s initial report, as well as its written replies provided in advance by the delegation. It appreciates the detailed answers given by the delegation to the Committee’s written and oral questions and the information it provided on the preparation of the report. 3. The Committee regrets the absence of representatives of the Entities in the State party’s delegation. B. Positive aspects 4. The Committee notes that the provisions of the Covenant have the rank of constitutional law and can be directly applied in the courts of the State party. 5. The Committee welcomes the adoption, in March 2006, of a Law on Amendments to the Law on Ombudsman for Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina which establishes a single independent Ombudsman Institution at the State level. 6. The Committee notes with appreciation the establishment of a State Gender Agency and of Gender Centres in the Entities vested with competence to make inquiries into individual cases of alleged violations of the Gender Equality Law. GE.06-45765