The Secretary-General transmits herewith to the Fifteenth meeting of the States parties a communication adopted by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination at its 1012th meeting (forty-third session) held on 20 August 1993.

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination prepares an annual report which contains so much information that there is a danger that important sections may be overlooked. In its letter of transmittal to the Secretary-General, the Committee draws attention to some of the main events of the year. Some members of the Committee have wondered whether it might not be helpful to States parties if the Committee were also to transmit communications to the meetings of States parties drawing to their attention matters likely to be of importance to them. If so, the States parties might wish to include information from the Committee as a regular item on the agenda of their meetings.

On this occasion the Committee wishes to draw particular attention to the new General Recommendations to be found in chapter VIII of its report to the General Assembly (A/48/18). It recommends that all States parties study these when preparing their periodic reports.

The Committee has been commended by the General Assembly for its new procedure in considering implementation of the Convention in States which are seriously overdue in the submission of their periodic reports. Such consideration is based on the last report submitted. Since, under the terms of article 9, paragraph 2, of the Convention this procedure cannot be followed when a State has failed to submit an initial report, the Committee wishes to draw the attention of States parties to the absence of initial reports from Liberia (due in 1977); Guyana (due in 1978); and Suriname (due in 1985).

As the States parties are no doubt aware, certain treaty bodies convene meetings of a pre-sessional working group which notifies reporting States of the issues the Committee plans to discuss with the representatives who present the periodic report. The Committee is considering the introduction of such a procedure.

Finally, the Committee expresses the hope that all States parties will act quickly to approve the proposed amendments to the Convention, the text of which was transmitted early in 1993.