UNITED NATIONS CERD International Convention On the Elimination Of all Forms of Racial Discrimination Distr. GENERAL CERD/C/TKM/CO/5∗ 27 March 2007 Original: ENGLISH COMMITTEE ON THE ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION Sixty-seventh session 2 - 19 August 2005 CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES UNDER ARTICLE 9 OF THE CONVENTION Concluding observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination TURKMENISTAN 1. The Committee considered the initial to fifth periodic reports of Turkmenistan, submitted in one document (CERD/C/441/Add.1), at its 1717th and 1718th meetings (CERD/C/SR.1717 and 1718), held on 11 and 12 August 2005. At its 1725th and 1727th meetings (CERD/C/SR.1725 and 1727), held on 17 and 18 August 2005, it adopted the following concluding observations. A. Introduction 2. The Committee welcomes the report submitted by Turkmenistan and the opportunity thus offered to open a dialogue with the State party. It regrets, however, that the report, which lacks detailed information on the practical implementation of the Convention, does not fully comply with the reporting guidelines. 3. The Committee notes with deep concern the major contradictions between, on the one hand, consistent information from both intergovernmental and non-governmental sources relating to the existence of grave violations of the Convention in Turkmenistan, and, on the other hand, the sometimes categorical denials by the State party. The Committee stresses that the consideration of reports is designed to institute a constructive and sincere dialogue, and encourages the State party to increase its efforts to that end. 4. Noting that the report was about nine years overdue when submitted, the Committee invites the State party to respect the deadlines set for the submission of its future reports. ∗ Re-issued for technical reasons. GE.07-41016