REPORTS FROM SEVEN COUNTRIES TO BE REVIEWED AT NEW SESSION OF COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS

17 November 1997

Press Release
HR/4341

REPORTS FROM SEVEN COUNTRIES TO BE REVIEWED AT NEW SESSION OF COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS

19971117 Background Release Dominican Republic, Luxembourg, Iraq, United Kingdom, Azerbaijan, Uruguay, St. Vincent to Advise on Compliance with International Covenant

GENEVA, 12 November (UN Information Service) -- The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights will meet in Geneva from 17 November to 5 December to examine measures taken by seven countries to implement the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The treaty, which entered into force in 1976, recognizes, among other things, the rights to work, to form and join trade unions, to social security, to the widest possible protection and assistance for the family, to an adequate standard of living, to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and to an education. It has been ratified by 137 States parties.

In acceding to the treaty, States agree to submit periodic reports to the Committee on how they give effect to its provisions. The Committee, now on its seventeenth session, evaluates the reports and makes observations and recommendations on improving the promotion and protection of the rights enshrined in the Covenant. During the new session, the Committee will review reports from the Dominican Republic, Luxembourg, Iraq, United Kingdom, Azerbaijan, Uruguay and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. In the absence of scheduled reports, the Committee may review the implementation of the treaty in a given country based on available information. Such is the case at this session in relation to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, which has not submitted any report since ratifying the Covenant in 1982.

The panel will also discuss relations with United Nations organs and other treaty bodies, as well as substantive issues arising in the implementation of the Covenant, when it will hear from non-governmental organizations.

On Monday, 1 December, in cooperation with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Committee will hold a general discussion on "The Normative Content of the Right to Food".

The Committee will also consider reports from specialized agencies of the United Nations system on the progress made by States parties in achieving the observance of the provisions of the Covenant falling within the scope of their activities. Representatives have been invited to the session from the International Labour Office (ILO), the FAO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

The General Assembly adopted and opened the Covenant for signature, ratification and accession in 1966. It entered into force on 3 January 1976. The Covenant states that the right to self-determination is universal and calls upon States to promote the realization and respect of that right. Another article reaffirms the equal right of men and women to the enjoyment of all human rights and enjoins States to make that principle a reality. Safeguards are provided against the destruction or undue limitation of any human right or fundamental freedom, and against misinterpretation of any provision of the Covenant as a means of justifying infringement of a right or freedom or its restriction to a greater extent than provided in the Covenant.

Articles 6 to 15 recognize the right to work; to the enjoyment of just and favourable conditions of work; to form and join trade unions; to social security, including social insurance; to the widest possible protection and assistance for the family, mothers, children and younger persons; to an adequate standard of living; to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; to an education; and to take part in cultural life.

Committee On Economic, Social And Cultural Rights

The Economic and Social Council established the Committee in 1985. Elected by secret ballot from a list of persons nominated by States parties to the Covenant, its 18 members are human-rights experts serving in their personal capacity.

The Committee is composed of the following members: Ade Adekuoye (Nigeria), Mahmoud Samir Ahmed (Egypt), Philip Alston (Australia), Ivan Antanovich (Belarus), Virginia Bonoan-Dandan (Philippines), Dumitru Ceausu (Romania), Oscar Ceville (Panama), Abdessatar Grissa (Tunisia), Maria de los Angelos Jimenez Butragueno (Spain), Valeri Kouznetsov (Russian Federation), Jamie Marchan Romero (Ecuador), Ariranga Govindasamy Pillay (Mauritius), Kenneth Osborn Rattray (Jamaica), Eibe Riedel (Germany), Waleed M. Sadi

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(Jordan), Philippe Texier (France), Nutan Thapalia (Nepal) and Javier Wimer Zambrano (Mexico).

The Chairman is Mr. Alston. Mr. Rattray, Mr. Ceausu, and Mr. Grissa are Vice-Chairmen. The Rapporteur is Ms. Bonoan-Dandan.

States Parties to Covenant

The Covenant has been ratified or acceded to by 137 States: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro), Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Germany, Georgia, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan and Latvia.

Also: Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zaire, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

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