COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS OPENS FORTIETH SESSION

Committee on Economic, Social
and Cultural Rights
28 April 2008

Hears Address from Representative of Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights


The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights this morning opened it fortieth session, hearing an address from a Representative of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and adopting its agenda and programme of work.

During the session, which will conclude on 16 May, the Committee will examine measures taken by France, Benin, Bolivia and India to comply with the standards of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The Committee will also consider relations with United Nations organs and other treaty bodies and discuss the status of submissions of reports by States parties to the Covenant and review the guidelines of the Committee for the preparation of reports by States parties which were harmonized with the guidelines for the Common Core Documents. The Committee will also consider methods of work that could be harmonized among all the treaty bodies, for further discussion in the Inter-Committee meeting in June.

In an opening statement, Ibrahim Salama, Chief of the Treaties and Council Branch of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, briefed the Committee on major developments since their last session. The most important development was the adoption of the Draft Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights by the Open-ended Working Group of the Human Rights Council at its fifth session on 4 April 2008. The draft text would be presented and hopefully adopted by the Council in June 2008, and might be transmitted to the General Assembly this fall and, if adopted, might be opened for ratification this year. Other important developments included the entry into force of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in May 2008, following the twentieth ratification by Ecuador, the transfer of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women to Geneva, and a number of Human Rights Council sessions, including the first Universal Periodic Review Working Group meeting which reviewed 16 State party reports. The Social Forum, whose next meeting was envisaged for September 2008, was another important topic. The focus of the meeting would be on questions related to poverty related to human rights, best practices to fight against poverty in light of grass-root presentations to the Social Forum and the social dimension of globalization process. Last but not least, Mr. Salama addressed the global food shortage. He stated that a rights base approach to this issue was needed. The Committee needed to discuss how human right standards could contribute to finding solutions to the crisis and if there was a role for the Committee.


When the Committee next meets at 3 p.m. this afternoon, it will hear information from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with respect to reports that it will review during the current session.


Statement

IBRAHIM SALAMA, Chief of the Treaties and Council Branch of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), briefed the Committee members on major developments since their last session. The most important development was the adoption of the Draft Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights by the open-ended Working Group of the Council at its fifth session on 4 April 2008. The text would be considered at the level of the Human Rights Council in June 2008 and hopefully adopted. It might be transmitted to the General Assembly this fall and, if adopted, might be opened for ratification this year. Another important development was the entry into force of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in May 2008, following the twentieth ratification by Ecuador. The Secretary-General would soon convene the first Conference of the States parties to the Convention for the election of the members of the Committee of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. As another treaty body, this would further increase the need for continued harmonization and as such enhance the cooperation of treaty bodies. Another development was the transfer of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women to Geneva.

At the level of the Human Rights Council, the most important event was the holding of the first Working Group for the Universal Periodic Review meeting which reviewed 16 countries reports, with OHCHR compilations of UN information and stakeholders summaries, including treaty body conclusions and recommendations. Mr. Salama stressed the crucial importance of the input of the Committee to the Universal Periodic Review procedures.

The Social Forum, whose next meeting was envisaged for September 2008, was another important topic. The focus of the meeting would be on questions related to poverty and human rights, best practices to fight against poverty in light of grass-root presentations to the Social Forum and the social dimension of globalization process. The Social Forum was a unique opportunity. Delegates could transform the Forum into a better frame by engaging in this meeting. The more the Forum developed a special focus, the more it could be a reservoir for this Committee.

Another fundamental topic was the global food shortage. Mr. Salama stated that a rights-based approach to this issue was needed. The Committee needed to discuss how human rights standards could contribute to finding solutions to the crisis and if there was a role for the Committee.

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For use of the information media; not an official record