A UNITED NATIONS General Assembly Distr. GENERAL A/HRC/8/15 30 April 2008 Original: ENGLISH HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL Eighth session Agenda item 2 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND REPORTS OF THE OFFICE OF THE HIGH COMMISSIONER AND THE SECRETARY-GENERAL Efforts by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for universal ratification of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination Note by the Secretariat* ** In its decision 2/102, the Human Rights Council requested the High Commissioner for Human Rights to continue with the fulfilment of her activities, in accordance with all previous decisions adopted by the Commission on Human Rights and to update the relevant reports and studies. The present note is submitted pursuant to resolution 2005/64, in which the Commission on Human Rights requested the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to publish a list of countries that had not yet ratified the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, to initiate a reinvigorated campaign for universal ratification of the Convention, and to report on its efforts in that regard. _________________________ * The present note is submitted further to the note by the Secretariat of 4 February 2008 (A/HRC/7/40). ** Late submission. GE.08-13193