1. There shall be
established a
Committee on the
Elimination of
Racial Discrimination (hereinafter referred to as the
Committee) consisting of eighteen
experts of high
moral standing and acknowledged
impartiality elected by
States Parties from among their
nationals, who shall serve in their
personal capacity,
consideration being given to
equitable geographical distribution and to the
representation of the different forms of
civilization as well as of the principal
legal systems.
2. The
members of the
Committee shall be
elected by
secret ballot from a
list of
persons nominated by the
States Parties. Each
State Party may
nominate one
person from among its own
nationals.
3. The
initial election shall be held six
months after the
date of the
entry into force of this
Convention. At least three
months before the
date of each
election the
Secretary-General of the United Nations shall
address a
letter to the
States Parties inviting them to submit their
nominations within two
months. The
Secretary-General shall prepare a
list in
alphabetical order of all
persons thus nominated, indicating the
States Parties which have nominated them, and shall submit it to the
States Parties.
5. (a) The
members of the
Committee shall be
elected for a
term of four
years. However, the
terms of nine of the
members elected at the first
election shall expire at the end of two
years; immediately after the first
election the
names of these nine
members shall be chosen by
lot by the
Chairman of the
Committee;
(b) For the filling of casual
vacancies, the
State Party whose
expert has ceased to
function as a
member of the
Committee shall appoint another
expert from among its
nationals,
subject to the
approval of the
Committee.