Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights opens forty-fourth session

MORNING

3 May 2010

Committee Adopts Agenda and Programme of Work

The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights this morning opened its forty-fourth session, hearing an address by Paulo David, Officer-In-Charge of the Human Rights Treaty Division of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Committee also adopted its agenda and programme of work.

In his address, Mr. David said that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights was in the process of developing a Strategic Management Plan that would build on the Secretary-General’s Strategic Framework devoted to human rights. In January, the High Commissioner launched the 2010-2011 plan, which outlined six strategic priorities, many of which were directly relevant to the work of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The six priorities included: ensuring the realization of human rights in the context of migration; eliminating discrimination; protecting human rights in situations of armed conflict, violence and insecurity; combating impunity and strengthening accountability, the rule of law and democratic societies; protecting economic, social and cultural rights, particularly in the context of the economic, food and climate crises; and strengthening international human rights mechanisms and the progressive development of international law.

Mr. David pointed out that of special interest to this Committee was the thematic priority protecting economic, social and cultural rights, particularly in the context of the economic, food and climate crises. The specific objectives the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights expected to achieve over the next two years included increased compliance with international human rights standards by relevant State institutions in domestic laws, the increased ratification of international and regional human rights instruments related to economic, social and cultural rights, increased measures to improve access to justice and to quality economic and social services by discriminated groups, and an increased response by the international community to the human rights dimensions of poverty and the realization of economic, social and cultural rights.

Jaime Marchan Romero, Chairperson of the Committee, said that the Committee was pleased with all the High Commissioner had done, especially for the protection of economic, social and cultural rights, particularly in times of crises. The other issues that were raised, including migration, were also very important and being focused on by a number of bodies, including some sister bodies to this Committee. Mr. Marchan Romero said it was particularly important to take into account the issue of poverty and how it impacted these issues as well.

A new member of the Committee, Aslan Abashidze of the Russian Federation, took a solemn oath to discharge his duties as a member of the Committee impartially and conscientiously. The Committee then met in private to discuss organisational and other matters.

During its three-week session, from 3 to 21 May 2010, the Committee will examine measures taken by Columbia, Algeria, Mauritius, Kazakhstan and Afghanistan to comply with the standards of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

The next meeting of the Committee will be this afternoon at 3 p.m., when it will consider item five on its agenda, relations with United Nations organs and other treaty bodies, following which it will take up agenda item three, substantive issues arising in the implementation of the Covenant, and hear submissions by non-governmental organizations on the reports which it will consider during the session.

Statements

PAULO DAVID, Officer-in-Charge of the Human Rights Treaty Division of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, opening the session, said that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights was in the process of developing a Strategic Management Plan that would build on the Secretary-General’s Strategic Framework devoted to human rights. In January, the High Commissioner launched the 2010-2011 plan, which outlined six strategic priorities, many of which were directly relevant to the work of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The six priorities included: ensuring the realization of human rights in the context of migration; eliminating discrimination; protecting human rights in situations of armed conflict, violence and insecurity; combating impunity and strengthening accountability, the rule of law and democratic societies; protecting economic, social and cultural rights, particularly in the context of the economic, food and climate crises; and strengthening international human rights mechanisms and the progressive development of international law.

Mr. David pointed out that of special interest to this Committee was the thematic priority protecting economic, social and cultural rights, particularly in the context of the economic, food and climate crises. The specific objectives the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights expected to achieve over the next two years included increased compliance with international human rights standards by relevant State institutions in domestic laws, the increased ratification of international and regional human rights instruments related to economic, social and cultural rights, increased measures to improve access to justice and to quality economic and social services by discriminated groups, and an increased response by the international community to the human rights dimensions of poverty and the realization of economic, social and cultural rights.

According to Mr. David, the other strategic priority that was of special interest to this Committee was that of strengthening human rights mechanisms and the progressive development of human rights law. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights expected to achieve more effective follow up in treaty body recommendations and enhancing coherence and consistency in the system of human rights mechanisms.

Mr. David reminded the Committee of the 2009 meeting in Dublin of former and current treaty body members, which led to the adoption of the Dublin Statement on the Process of Strengthening of the UN Human Rights Treaty Body System, which was widely disseminated among all treaty bodies’ stakeholders. The Dublin statement offered a unique platform for the treaty bodies strengthening process to which all stakeholders could contribute from their own perspectives. Mr. David said that other events were being planned by different stakeholders keeping the Dublin vision in mind, in working towards a more harmonized and strengthened treaty body system.

JAIME MARCHAN ROMERO, Chairperson of the Committee, thanked Mr. David for his comments and said that the Committee was pleased with all the High Commissioner had done, especially for the protection of economic, social and cultural rights, particularly in times of crises. The other issues that were raised, including migration, were also very important and were being focused on by a number of bodies, including some sister bodies to this Committee. Mr. Marchan Romero said it was particularly important to take into account the issue of poverty and how it impacted these issues as well.

The Chairperson pointed out that the Committee had tried to contribute actively in the strengthening of treaty bodies and harmonization of working methods and that it would continue to do everything it could to make headway on these issues by working smoothly and harmoniously with other bodies. He updated the Committee on the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which had been signed by 32 States out of the 160 who were party to the Covenant. The Chairperson said when he left Ecuador, that country’s parliament had begun discussion of the Optional Protocol and he hoped that other countries would soon do the same so they could reach the requisite number of signatories.

Mr. Marchan Romero reminded the Committee that they had a very busy agenda over the next few weeks, including discussion of a new draft General Comments that would look at a number of issues including obligations of the business community to economic, social and cultural rights. He concluded his remarks by saying that the Committee would continue to look at ways it could enhance and further improve the cooperation between bodies and harmonize their working methods.

ASLAN ABASHIDZE, Committee Member, said that although he hailed from the Russian Federation he was ethnically Georgian. He had been involved in numerous human rights activities including a number of programmes at the university where he was a professor in international law, and he had also been a member of the Working Group on arbitrary detention for the last two years. Mr. Abashidze hoped that his own knowledge of human rights mechanisms would be enriched by his participation on the Committee and that he would be able to bring information about this treaty body to his country.
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