UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights issues findings on Costa Rica, Cyprus, Poland, Tunisia, Lebanon, Dominican Republic and Philippines

GENEVA (11 October 2016) – The UN Committee on the Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has published its findings on the countries it examined during its latest session, held from 19 September to 7 October, in Geneva:  Costa Rica, Cyprus, Poland, Tunisia, Lebanon, Dominican Republic, and Philippines.

The findings cover how the respective State is doing with regard to implementing the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, detailing positive developments, main areas of concern, and recommendations for action.  The findings, officially known as concluding observations, can be found here:
http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=1060&Lang=en

ENDS

For more information, please contact: Liz Throssell + 41 22 917 9466 / +41 79 752 0488 / ethrossell@ohchr.org

Background

The 18 members of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights are independent human rights experts drawn from around the world, who serve in their personal capacity and not as representatives of States parties. The Committee’s concluding observations are an independent assessment of States’ compliance with their human rights obligations under the treaty. More information:  http://www.ohchr.org/en/treaty-bodies/cescr

50 years of the International Bill of Human Rights

2016 marks the 50th anniversary of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). These treaties, together with the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, form the International Bill of Rights. A campaign by the UN Human Rights Office, entitled “Our Rights, Our Freedoms, Always”,  is running throughout the year to promote and raise awareness of the two treaties, focussing on the timeless themes of rights and freedoms, in particular freedom from fear, freedom of speech, freedom of worship and freedom from want. Check the campaign website at http://2covenants.ohchr.org .  
Check which countries have ratified the two Covenants and the other main international human rights treaties: http://indicators.ohchr.org/

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