The present document contains nominations for election to the Human Rights Committee received after the submission of the list of candidates by the Secretary-General on 18 June 1998 (CCPR/C/SP.51). Bibliographical data of the person nominated, as furnished by the State party concerned, are contained in the annex to the present document.

Name: Luis Alberto Varela Quirós

Marital status: Married

Date of birth: 25 October 1944

University studies: Law degree: University of Costa Rica, 1971 Postgraduate studies: Department of Sociology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1971-1972

Languages: English: Costa Rican/North American Cultural Centre and School for International Training, Vermont, United States of America. Full mastery of the language

French: Franco-Costa Rican Cultural Alliance. Reads and understands the language

Posts held: 1968-1971: Teaching and Research Assistant, Faculty of Law, University of Costa Rica

1971-1996: Lecturer on law of obligations and international public law, University of Costa Rica

1973-1981: Delegate to the General Assembly of the United Nations during all its sessions

1973-1974: Governing body of the Costa Rican Lawyers' Association

1973-1976: Attached to the Protocol Office of the Ministry of External Relations and Religious Affairs

1973-1980: Adviser to the Ministry of External Relations and Religious Affairs on United Nations questions

1974-1976: Adviser, Department of Technical Services of the Legislative Assembly

1978: Director, Costa Rican Institute of Water Supply and Sewerage Systems

1979-1981: Ambassador and Alternate Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the United Nations

1978: Secretary, Commission on Transfer of Powers

1978 and 1990: Lecturer on international organizations, introductory specialist course for senior civil servants in the Foreign Service, organized by the Ministry of External Relations and Religious Affairs

1979: Vice-Chairman, Special Committee on Decolonization of the General Assembly of the United Nations

1980: Head of the Costa Rica delegation to the Sixth Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations and Vice-President of that Special Session

1980-1982: Representative of Costa Rica to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights

1981: Member of the delegation of Costa Rica to the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, New York

1981-1988: Member of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights

1982-1998: Lawyer and External Notary Public, Bank of Costa Rica and National Bank of Costa Rica

1985: Member of the National Commission appointed by the Government of the Republic to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the foundation of the United Nations

1986: Special Adviser of the Ministry of External Relations and Religious Affairs to reply to the claim submitted by Nicaragua to the International Court of Justice

1988: Delegate, forty-fourth session of the Commission on Human Rights, Geneva, Switzerland

1988-1990: Expert, United Nations Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities

1988-1991: President, Costa Rican Academy of International Law

Honorary Consul of Pakistan in Costa Rica

President and founder member of Asesores Legales Internacionales, a law firm specializing in advice to foreign investors in Costa Rica

1989-1990: Lecturer on international organizations and human rights, Manuel María de Peralta Institute of Foreign Service, Ministry of External Relations and Religious Affairs

1989-1991: Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities

1990: Vice-Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Costa Rica

1990-1991: Director, Manuel María de Peralta Institute of Foreign Service, Ministry of External Relations and Religious Affairs

1990-1998: Lawyer and External Notary Public, Costa Rican Social Security Fund

1991: Professor of Human Rights, University for Peace

1995-1998: Professor of International Law, Universidad Escuela Libre de Derecho

Association Costa Rican United Nations Association

membership: Philip C. Jessup Costa Rican Association of International Law

American Society of International Law

Author of the following publications:

Derechos del Hombre: Un Nuevo Modo de Acceso al Espacio Público [Human rights: a new means of access to the public domain], Revista de Ciencias Jurídicas, 1984.

Consideraciones en torno a la demanda de Nicaragua contra Costa Rica ante la Corte Internacional de Justicia [Considerations on the case brought by Nicaragua against Costa Rica before the International Court of Justice], Revista Fragua, October 1986.

El Servicio Exterior de Costa Rica [Costa Rica's Foreign Service], Revista Fragua, November 1986.

La Labor de la Sub-Comisión de Protección a las Minorías durante 1988 [Work of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities in 1988], Revista del Instituto de Derechos Humanos, No. 10.

Francisco de Vitoria, Precursor del Derecho Internacional [Francisco de Vitoria, forerunner of international law], Revista de Ciencias Jurídicas No. 66, 1990.

Los Organos del Estado en sus Relaciones Internacionales [State bodies in their international relations], Revista de Ciencias Jurídicas No. 69, 1991.

Posibilidad y Esencia del Derecho Natural en Helmut Coing [Possibility and essence of natural law in Helmut Coing], Revista de Ciencias Jurídicas No. 71, 1992.

La Tortura y Otros Tratos y Penas Crueles, Inhumanos o Degradantes [Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment], Revista de Ciencias Jurídicas No. 77, 1994.

Las Fuentes de Derecho International [Sources of international law], published by Temis, Santafé de Bogotá, Colombia, 1995.

El Derecho de Retención [The right of retention], Boletin informativo de la Corte Suprema de Justicia, No. 21.

El Parlamento Centroamericano [The Central American Parliament], Revista de Relaciones Internacionales, No. 31, Universidad Nacional, Heredia.

Informe para la Comisión Especial que Estudia La Solicitud de Levantamiento del Privilegio Constitucional del Diputado Rodolfo Piza Escalante [Report for the Special Committee Studying the Request to Waive the Constitutional Privilege of Deputy Rodolfo Piza Escalante], Revista de Ciencias Jurídicas.

La Labor del Comité de Derechos Humanos de las Naciones Unidas [The work of the Human Rights Committee of the United Nations], Revista de Relaciones Internacionales, Universidad Nacional, Heredia.

Co-author of:

Eight reports on enforced or involuntary disappearances, submitted to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights between 1980 and 1988.

Four reports to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights concerning the problem of enforced disappearances in Mexico, Guatemala, Bolivia and Peru.