land-owner that wa~ ~lOtnecessarily motivated blracialprejudice. IMadagascar 100.Theninthperiodic reportofMadagascar (CERD/C/149/Add.19) wasconsidered by theCommittee atits835th m~Jting, on9August1989(CERD/C/SR.835). 101.Thereportwasintroduced bytherepresentative oftheStateparty, who emphasized thattheMalagasy legislature wasendeavQuring totranslate the principal provisions oftheConvention intonormsofnational law,takinginto account theCommittee's co~nents. -28-102.Members oftheCommittee welcomed thereportofMadagascar, whichhadbeen prepared inaccordance withtheCommittee's guidelines (CERD/C/70/Rev.l). In qeneral, questions wereaskedconcerning thesituation ofthelndo-Pakistani and Chinese minorities, particularly aftertheraceriotsthathadoccurred in February 1986. 103.Members oftheCommittee observed thatthestipulations ofarticle 4ofthe Convention hadbeenonlypartially incorporated intoMalagasy lawand,inthat regard, tLeywishedtoknowwhether theprovisions ofthenewPenalCode,apart fromthoseconcerning pressoffences, wouldbefilling gapsintheexisting legislation. 10~.Withregardtoarticle 5oftheConvention, members oftheCommittee, noting thattherelevant provision. uftheConstitution covered onlysomeoftherights mentionod inthatarticle, requested additional information con~8rning exercise of therighttovoteandthedevelopment ofsociallegislation inMadagascar. They alsoinquired whether the~urrent revision oftheCodoofCriminal Procedure aimed atsimplifying itmightnotleadtotheeliwination ofcertain safeguards concerning rightsofdefence. 105.Inreplytothequestions raisedbymembers oftheCommittee, the representative oftheStatepartyacknowledged thatproblems ofcoha~itation among ethnicgroupscouldariseinMadagascar. However, thecausesofther~ceriots thathadbeenreferred towereofaneconomic ratherthanaracialnatureandthe Malagasy authorities hadassumed theirresponsibilities andhadprotected the minorities inquestion. Mostmembers oftheIndo-Pakistani minority hadremained inMadagascar, wheretheywerecontinuing toplayanimportant roleinthe economy. Moreover, therewerelegalweapons toprevent arecurrence ofsuch disturbances. 106.Withregardtoarticle 4oftheConvention, heconfirmed thattheMalagasy legislature hadgivenmuchattention topressoffences inthepast,witha~iewto rrotecting national unityfromarguments liabletoexacerbate tribalism and instigate ethnic4ivisions. However, censorship hadbeenabolished andthe legislature woul~henceforth beseeking asolution thatwouldadequately meetthe requirem8nts ofarticle 4. 107.Concerning article 5oftheConvention, hepointed outthat,withthe excepticn ofpersons whohadforfeited theircivicrights, noonewasprevented fromexercising hisriqhttovoteandtherighttoworkwasfUllyguaranteed bytha Constitution, eventhoughitsapplication inpractice WBSliabletoencounter difficulties. Thereformofthelegalsystem, wnichhadbeenundbrtaken owingto thecomplel.ity oftheexisting system, hadnotbeencompleted, sincethequestion ofthesystemofjointliability wasstillbeingdebated andhadnotyetbeen settled. 108.Inconclusion, therepresentative oftheStatepartysaidthatthequestions towhichhehadbeenunabletoreplywouldbedulyanswered infuturereports. Poland 109.TheninthperiOdic reportofPoland (CERD/C/149/Add.20) wasconsidered bythe Committee atits836thIneeting, heldon10August1989(CERD/C/SR.836). -29-110.Thereportwasintroduced bytherepresentative oftheStatepattywho stressed thatthebasicleqalprovisions contained inthereportremained unchanqed. Oftherecentchanqes inthecountry's leqalsystem, hestatedthatthe mostsiqnificant weretheestablishment oftheConstitutional Courtin January 1986,theextension ofthecompetence oftheSupreme Adminstrative Court andthecommoncourts, andtheestablishment inJuly1987ofthepostofSpokesman forCivicRiqhts, comparable totheinstitution ofOmbudsman inothercountries. 111.Therepresentative pointed outthatinApril1989thePolishParliament had adopted anewLawonAssociations, creatinq betterconditions forfull implementation ofsomeoftheriqhtscontained inarticle 5oftheConvention, and ensurinq toallcitizens equalrighttoparticipate inthepubliclifeofthe country andtosetupassociations oftheirownchoosing. Although thisnewlaw didnotapplytotradeunions, churches andreligious organizations, theParliament hadalsoadopted anactamendinq theTradeUnionActof1982andanewactontrade unionsoffarmers, whichdeveloped theprinciple oftradeu»ionpluralism. The representative listedthetotalnumberofchurch~s ~ndreliqious denominations officially recoqnized inPoland, includinq theRomanCatholic Church, towhich
**Analysis**
The text appears to be a report on the human rights situation in Madagascar and Poland, specifically regarding racial discrimination. It discusses the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) in both countries, with a focus on legislative changes, social issues, and minority rights.

**Category**
Humanitarian aid and relief, Education