Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights concludes fifty-ninth session

Committee on Economic, Social
and Cultural Rights

7 October 2016

ROUNDUP RELEASE

Adopts Concluding Observations and Recommendations on Costa Rica, Cyprus, Poland, Tunisia, Lebanon, Dominican Republic and Philippines

The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights today concluded its fifty-ninth session after adopting its concluding observations and recommendations on the reports of Costa Rica, Cyprus, Poland, Tunisia, Lebanon, Dominican Republic and Philippines.

The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the reports will be available on the webpage of the session on Monday, 10 October by 6 p.m.

In closing remarks, Waleed Sadi, the Committee Chairperson, stated that it had again been a very busy session with State party reviews, consideration of communications as well as with a considerable number of informal meetings with key stakeholders.  The Committee had discussed the important role played by civil society in the promotion and protection of economic, social and cultural rights.  Mr. Sadi reminded that the Committee had examined one communication under the Optional Protocol and found it inadmissible.  It had also adopted theguidance on third-party interventions,which would regulate the intervention of individuals and entities which might wish to file an amicus brief in an individual communication procedure.  The adoption of that guidance should ensure a consistent and transparent practice by the Committee on the matter.

Further summing up the session, Mr. Sadi said that the Committee had pursued its work on General Comments, notably on the draft General Comment on business and human rights.  The Committee would be holding a day of discussion on the draft General Comment at its next session; the draft would be made available publicly shortly and all those interested were encouraged to submit inputs.  The Committee had adopted the Statement on Human Rights Defenders and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and agreed on a Joint Statement to be issued with the Human Rights Committee on 16 December 2016, on the fiftieth anniversary of the two Covenants.  The Committee had also adopted its 2016 annual report.

Finally, Mr. Sadi bid farewell to three departing Committee Members, whose terms were coming to an end at the end of 2016: Sergei Martynov, Ariranga Pillay and Nico Schrijver, and informed that his own term as the Chairperson had come to an end, and this was the last session he was chairing.  Several Committee Members then took the floor to thank Mr. Sadi for his leadership, and wished the best of luck to the departing colleagues.

The Committee’s sixtieth session will take place in Geneva from 20 to 24 February 2017.  The session will focus on substantive issues, including a discussion day on the draft General Comment on business and human rights.  The sixty-first session of the Committee will be held from 29 May to 23 June during which the Committee will consider the reports of Australia, Liechtenstein, Netherlands, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Uruguay.

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