Resumed organizational session for 2002

12-18 February 2002

Agenda item 4

Elections, nominations, confirmations and appointments

 

 

 

                 Election of a member of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

 

 

                     Note by the Secretary-General

 

 

1.        In a letter dated 28 November 2001, Mr. Valeri Kouznetsov, a national of the Russian Federation and member of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, notified the Secretary-General, through the Chairperson of the Committee, of his decision to resign his membership in the Committee as from 10 December 2001. The term of office of Mr. Kouznetsov had been due to expire on 31 December 2002.

2.        In a note verbale dated 7 December 2001, the Secretary-General informed the States parties to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights from the regional group of Eastern European States of Mr. Kouznetsov’s resignation and, in accordance with paragraphs (b) and (c) of Economic and Social Council resolution 1985/17 of 28 May 1985 and rule 12 of the provisional rules of procedure of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, invited the Governments concerned to submit, by 10 February 2002 at the latest, their nominations for membership in the Committee to fill the vacancy in the Committee for the remainder of the term of office of the resigning member.

3.        As of 2 January 2002, the Secretary-General had received the nomination of Mr. Yuri M. Kolosov, submitted by the Government of the Russian Federation.

4.        The Secretary-General also received a letter dated 14 December 2001 from the Permanent Representative of Latvia to the United Nations Office at Geneva and Coordinator of the Eastern European Human Rights Group, through which the regional group of Eastern European States informed the Secretary-General that it “had considered and expressed its support to the candidature of Professor Yuri M. Kolosov” as Mr. Kouznetsov’s “successor for the remainder of the term of office”.

5.        Biographical information on Mr. Kolosov is contained below.

                     Yuri M. Kolosov (Russian Federation)

 

 

Born in St. Petersburg (Leningrad) region, Russian Federation (former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)). Graduated from the International Law Department of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations in 1959. Has a command of English.

 

                            Education and professional activities

 

1959                                   Graduate of Moscow State Institute of International Relations

1959-1963                         Legal adviser of the Department for Foreign Relations, USSR Ministry of Civil Aviation

1963-1966                         Postgraduate course at Moscow State Institute of International Relations

1966                                   PhD degree

1966-1970                         Diplomatic service, USSR Ministry for Foreign Affairs

1970-1973                         Senior researcher, State and Law Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences

1973-1987                         Diplomatic service, Legal and Treaty Department, Department of Humanitarian and Cultural Relations, USSR Ministry for Foreign Affairs

1987-to date                     Head, Department of International Law, Moscow State Institute (University) of International Relations

1976                                   LLD degree

1982                                   International Law Professor

1986-1987                         Deputy Chief, Department of Humanitarian and Cultural Relations, USSR Ministry for Foreign Affairs

1995                                   Award “Merited Scientist of the Russian Federation”

1996                                   Diplomatic rank: Minister Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

1991-1999                         Member, United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child

 

                            Professional activities at present

 

Member, Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague (since 1990)

Member, International Academy of Astronautics (since 1985)

Member, International Institute of Space Law (since 1980)

Member, Executive Board, Russian Association of International Law (since 1988)

Vice-President, Moscow Association of International Law (since 1992)

Editor-in-Chief, “Moscow Journal of International Law” (1991-1997); since 1998: President of the Editorial Board

Director, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair for Human Rights and Democracy, Moscow (since 1994)

Member, Board of Governors, Russian Children’s Foundation (since 1994)

 

                            Participation in international events

 

Lecturing on different issues of international law at the universities of Montreal, Vienna, Thessaloníki, Milan, Florence, Ghent.

Member of Soviet (Russian) delegations in various organs at several sessions of the United Nations General Assembly, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, the Geneva meeting of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), the Vienna meeting of CSCE, the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and its Legal Subcommittee, UNESCO meetings, diplomatic conferences on The Hague and Montreal conventions against unlawful interference into civil aviation, the establishment of the International Maritime Satellite Organization (INMARSAT), the Joint Consultative Group on the reduction of conventional armed forces in Europe, the Third Hague Peace Conference of 1999 etc.

 

                            Academic activities

 

Author of more than 200 publications dealing with international cooperation in the field of human rights, law of treaties, outer space law, air law, law of international organizations, humanitarian law, international responsibility etc.

Supervisor of 17 postgraduates, including foreigners, on writing PhD thesis