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COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS OPENS THIRTY-FOURTH SESSION
25 April 2005
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Committee on Economic, Social
and Cultural Rights
25 April 2005
MORNING
Hears Statements from Representatives of Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights and of UNESCO
The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights started its thirty-fourth session this morning by adopting its agenda and programme of work and hearing an opening statement by a Representative of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Alessio Bruni, Team Leader of the Treaties and Follow-Up Unit of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the work of the Office of the High Commissioner was guided by the Secretary-General's agenda for reform of the United Nations and his latest report "In larger freedom: towards development, security and human rights for all". Important steps had already been taken to enhance the efficiency and impact of human rights treaty monitoring so that the treaty bodies could function as a strong, unified system. According to the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the era of declaration, which saw the articulating and codifying of human rights in international declarations and treaties, was now giving way to an era of implementation.
Mr. Bruni further noted that in the area of human rights treaty monitoring, a number of initiatives of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights sought to promote compliance with States’ reporting obligations and improve follow-up to treaty body recommendations. He also drew attention to the meeting of the open-ended Working Group to consider options regarding an Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in January this year.
At the beginning of the meeting, nine elected and re-elected member of the Committee made a solemn declaration to perform their duties and exercise their powers as members of the Committee honourably, faithfully, impartially and conscientiously. The election of the new Bureau of the Committee was postponed until Tuesday, 26 April because some members of the Committee had not yet arrived in Geneva.
The Committee also adopted its agenda and programme of work for its three-week session during which it will examine reports submitted by Zambia, China, Serbia and Montenegro and Norway. These countries are among the 151 States parties to the International Covenant.
Also this morning, the Committee heard a statement by a Representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) who outlined UNESCO's strong support for the elaboration of an Optional Protocol to the International Covenant. Mention was also made of a draft declaration on bioethics and human rights and another normative instrument on cultural diversity, both of which would be submitted to UNESCO's general conference in October this year.
A Committee Expert recalled that the meeting held in January this year on the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant discussed, among other things, the nature of economic, social and cultural rights, international cooperation and assistance, and the relationship between an Optional Protocol and existing mechanisms. Other Committee Experts took the opportunity to express their own views on this subject.
When the Committee reconvenes at 3 p.m., it will hear statements by a series of non-governmental organizations in connection with the reports to be examined by the Committee during this session.
Statement by the Representative of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
ALESSIO BRUNI, Team Leader of the Treaties and Follow-Up Unit of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the work of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights was guided by the Secretary-General's agenda for reform of the United Nations and his latest report "In larger freedom: towards development, security and human rights for all". Important steps had already been taken to enhance the efficiency and impact of human rights treaty monitoring so that the treaty bodies could function as a strong, unified system.
The Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights both affirmed that the cause of human rights had entered a new era, Mr. Bruni said. The era of declaration, which saw the articulating and codifying of human rights in international declarations and treaties, was now giving way to an era of implementation. The main challenge for States and the United Nations now was to ensure the effective implementation of rights. He recalled that the Secretary-General had requested the High Commissioner to submit a plan of action by 20 May this year, with concrete recommendations as to how the Office of the High Commissioner may become a more effective force for the promotion and protection of human rights.
In the area of human rights treaty monitoring, a number of initiatives of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights sought to promote compliance with States’ reporting obligations and improve follow-up to treaty body recommendations. Mr. Bruni announced that from 9 to 13 May this year, the Office was organizing in Geneva the fourth in a series of workshops on the implementation of treaty body recommendations, which aimed to raise awareness of the human rights treaty body system among non-governmental organizations, national human rights institutions and the media. At the same time, a number of regional and sub-regional workshops on follow-up to concluding observations had been organized. The Office had also undertaken various activities in the framework of the so-called Action 2 programme to enhance the capacity of the United Nations system to assist States in strengthening their national human rights promotion and protection systems.
The Commission of Human Rights, before concluding its sixty-first session last Friday, received a total of 28 reports under its agenda item on economic, social and cultural rights and adopted 16 resolutions under this item, Mr. Bruni said. Among other things, the Commission invited the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to pay particular attention to the gender aspect of access to adequate housing, the access to medication in the context of pandemics such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, and the question of extreme poverty and human rights. Moreover, the Commission extended, for three years, the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. The Commission also endorsed the decision of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights to appoint Marc Bossuyt as Special Rapporteur to undertake a study on non-discrimination as enshrined in article 2, paragraph 2, of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, a study which was initiated at the request of the Committee.
Mr. Bruni also drew attention to the meeting of the open-ended Working Group to consider options regarding an Optional Protocol to the International Covenant in January this year. At the end of the session, the Working Group entrusted the Chairperson Rapporteur with the task of drafting a paper which would analyze options and elements for an Optional Protocol in order to facilitate a more focused discussion at the Working Group's next session. In her address to the Working Group, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, along with many national delegations, had expressed support for an Optional Protocol.
Statement by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
A Representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) informed the Committee of several developments which had taken place at UNESCO in relation to economic, social and cultural rights. Among them was UNESCO's participation in the meeting of the Working Group to discuss the option of an Optional Protocol. A Representative of UNESCO had affirmed that there was no overlap between UNESCO's procedures and an Optional Protocol. UNESCO strongly supported the elaboration of an Optional Protocol. Moreover, a draft declaration on bioethics and human rights was recently discussed by UNESCO experts, which would be submitted to the next general conference of UNESCO in October this year. Another process discussed was a possible normative instrument on cultural diversity, which would also be submitted to the agency's general conference. Among other developments, UNESCO was developing research networks at the regional level, and to that aim, was working closely with national human rights institutions to discuss approaches to education.
In response to a question raised by a Committee member, the Representative of UNESCO said the agency had set up a network of research centres through various Ombudspersons in Latin America, and at present efforts were underway to expand this network to various academics in the region to come up with a common methodology on education in the countries of that region.
Concerning the right to education, UNESCO had been involving non-governmental organizations in its work and programmes on the ground in the field of education, the Representative said.
* *** *
This press release is not an official record and is provided for public information only.
and Cultural Rights
25 April 2005
MORNING
Hears Statements from Representatives of Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights and of UNESCO
The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights started its thirty-fourth session this morning by adopting its agenda and programme of work and hearing an opening statement by a Representative of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Alessio Bruni, Team Leader of the Treaties and Follow-Up Unit of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the work of the Office of the High Commissioner was guided by the Secretary-General's agenda for reform of the United Nations and his latest report "In larger freedom: towards development, security and human rights for all". Important steps had already been taken to enhance the efficiency and impact of human rights treaty monitoring so that the treaty bodies could function as a strong, unified system. According to the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the era of declaration, which saw the articulating and codifying of human rights in international declarations and treaties, was now giving way to an era of implementation.
Mr. Bruni further noted that in the area of human rights treaty monitoring, a number of initiatives of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights sought to promote compliance with States’ reporting obligations and improve follow-up to treaty body recommendations. He also drew attention to the meeting of the open-ended Working Group to consider options regarding an Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in January this year.
At the beginning of the meeting, nine elected and re-elected member of the Committee made a solemn declaration to perform their duties and exercise their powers as members of the Committee honourably, faithfully, impartially and conscientiously. The election of the new Bureau of the Committee was postponed until Tuesday, 26 April because some members of the Committee had not yet arrived in Geneva.
The Committee also adopted its agenda and programme of work for its three-week session during which it will examine reports submitted by Zambia, China, Serbia and Montenegro and Norway. These countries are among the 151 States parties to the International Covenant.
Also this morning, the Committee heard a statement by a Representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) who outlined UNESCO's strong support for the elaboration of an Optional Protocol to the International Covenant. Mention was also made of a draft declaration on bioethics and human rights and another normative instrument on cultural diversity, both of which would be submitted to UNESCO's general conference in October this year.
A Committee Expert recalled that the meeting held in January this year on the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant discussed, among other things, the nature of economic, social and cultural rights, international cooperation and assistance, and the relationship between an Optional Protocol and existing mechanisms. Other Committee Experts took the opportunity to express their own views on this subject.
When the Committee reconvenes at 3 p.m., it will hear statements by a series of non-governmental organizations in connection with the reports to be examined by the Committee during this session.
Statement by the Representative of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
ALESSIO BRUNI, Team Leader of the Treaties and Follow-Up Unit of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the work of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights was guided by the Secretary-General's agenda for reform of the United Nations and his latest report "In larger freedom: towards development, security and human rights for all". Important steps had already been taken to enhance the efficiency and impact of human rights treaty monitoring so that the treaty bodies could function as a strong, unified system.
The Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights both affirmed that the cause of human rights had entered a new era, Mr. Bruni said. The era of declaration, which saw the articulating and codifying of human rights in international declarations and treaties, was now giving way to an era of implementation. The main challenge for States and the United Nations now was to ensure the effective implementation of rights. He recalled that the Secretary-General had requested the High Commissioner to submit a plan of action by 20 May this year, with concrete recommendations as to how the Office of the High Commissioner may become a more effective force for the promotion and protection of human rights.
In the area of human rights treaty monitoring, a number of initiatives of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights sought to promote compliance with States’ reporting obligations and improve follow-up to treaty body recommendations. Mr. Bruni announced that from 9 to 13 May this year, the Office was organizing in Geneva the fourth in a series of workshops on the implementation of treaty body recommendations, which aimed to raise awareness of the human rights treaty body system among non-governmental organizations, national human rights institutions and the media. At the same time, a number of regional and sub-regional workshops on follow-up to concluding observations had been organized. The Office had also undertaken various activities in the framework of the so-called Action 2 programme to enhance the capacity of the United Nations system to assist States in strengthening their national human rights promotion and protection systems.
The Commission of Human Rights, before concluding its sixty-first session last Friday, received a total of 28 reports under its agenda item on economic, social and cultural rights and adopted 16 resolutions under this item, Mr. Bruni said. Among other things, the Commission invited the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to pay particular attention to the gender aspect of access to adequate housing, the access to medication in the context of pandemics such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, and the question of extreme poverty and human rights. Moreover, the Commission extended, for three years, the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. The Commission also endorsed the decision of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights to appoint Marc Bossuyt as Special Rapporteur to undertake a study on non-discrimination as enshrined in article 2, paragraph 2, of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, a study which was initiated at the request of the Committee.
Mr. Bruni also drew attention to the meeting of the open-ended Working Group to consider options regarding an Optional Protocol to the International Covenant in January this year. At the end of the session, the Working Group entrusted the Chairperson Rapporteur with the task of drafting a paper which would analyze options and elements for an Optional Protocol in order to facilitate a more focused discussion at the Working Group's next session. In her address to the Working Group, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, along with many national delegations, had expressed support for an Optional Protocol.
Statement by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
A Representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) informed the Committee of several developments which had taken place at UNESCO in relation to economic, social and cultural rights. Among them was UNESCO's participation in the meeting of the Working Group to discuss the option of an Optional Protocol. A Representative of UNESCO had affirmed that there was no overlap between UNESCO's procedures and an Optional Protocol. UNESCO strongly supported the elaboration of an Optional Protocol. Moreover, a draft declaration on bioethics and human rights was recently discussed by UNESCO experts, which would be submitted to the next general conference of UNESCO in October this year. Another process discussed was a possible normative instrument on cultural diversity, which would also be submitted to the agency's general conference. Among other developments, UNESCO was developing research networks at the regional level, and to that aim, was working closely with national human rights institutions to discuss approaches to education.
In response to a question raised by a Committee member, the Representative of UNESCO said the agency had set up a network of research centres through various Ombudspersons in Latin America, and at present efforts were underway to expand this network to various academics in the region to come up with a common methodology on education in the countries of that region.
Concerning the right to education, UNESCO had been involving non-governmental organizations in its work and programmes on the ground in the field of education, the Representative said.
* *** *
This press release is not an official record and is provided for public information only.
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