US government shutdown causes postponement of Human Rights Committee review of USA

In an email today to the many civil society organizations in the US that had prepared for the review (see state report and list of shadow reports by scrolling down to entry on USA here), the US Mission to the UN in Geneva conveyed this news:

the U.S. Delegation to the 109th Session of the Human Rights Committee regrets to inform civil society partners that due to the ongoing government shutdown, we have had to request today from the Human Rights Committee a postponement of our ICCPR presentation. We are also therefore postponing the NGO consultation scheduled for October 16.

The Human Rights Committee has issued the following statement:

THE REVIEW OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA HAS BEEN CANCELLED

To whom it may concern,

Please be advised that the review of the USA, which was scheduled to be reviewed during the Human Rights Committee’s 109th session, has been postponed until March 2014 (exact dates to be confirmed).

A request for a postponement from the USA was made on 10 October 2013 and accepted by the Committee on the same day. The USA highlights its regret at having to make such a request, which is due to the ongoing government shutdown.

The Committee and the Secretariat regret the inconvenience this will cause, in particular to members of civil society who had made arrangements to attend and participate in the meetings.

FYI instead of the USA review, the Committee will continue its consideration of its draft general comment on article 9, of the ICCPR (liberty and security of person), during the afternoon of Thursday 17th October and the morning of Friday 18th, in the ground floor conference room of Palais Wilson.