Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to hold forty-fourth session from 3 to 21 May 2010 in Geneva

Committee on Economic, Social
and Cultural Rights 29 April 2010
BACKGROUND RELEASE

Experts to Review Reports of Colombia, Algeria, Mauritius,
Kazakhstan and Afghanistan

The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights will meet at the Palais Wilson in Geneva from 3 to 21 May to examine measures taken by Colombia, Algeria, Mauritius, Kazakhstan and Afghanistan to comply with the standards of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Those five countries are among the 160 States parties to the treaty, which entered into force in 1976 and which recognizes, among other things, the rights to work, to form and join trade unions, to social security, to the widest possible protection and assistance for the family, to an adequate standard of living, to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and to an education.

In adhering to the treaty, States agree to submit periodic reports to the Committee on how they give effect to the provisions of the Covenant. The Committee evaluates the reports and makes observations and recommendations on improving the promotion and protection of the rights enshrined in the Covenant.

At the opening of the session, the Committee will hear a presentation by a representative of the Secretary-General. It will then swear in a new member and adopt its agenda and programme of work before discussing its organization of work.

In the afternoon, the Committee will discuss relations with United Nations organs and other treaty bodies, and substantive issues arising in the implementation of the Covenant. It will also hear information from non-governmental organizations with respect to the reports that it will review during the current session.

During the session, the Committee will review the status of development of the draft General Comment on sexual and reproductive health rights and discuss the future development of a draft general comment on article 10 (protection of the family and children with regard to economic, social and cultural rights) of the Covenant. In addition, the Committee will also consider the future development of a statement on the corporate sector and human rights and a statement on sanitation.

The Committee will also discuss other issues regarding its methods of work and, in closed meetings, will discuss the draft rules of procedures regarding the Optional Protocol to the Covenant.

With the exception of Kazakhstan, which is presenting its initial report, the countries to be examined at this session have come before the Committee before. Colombia presented its fourth periodic report to the Committee on 14 November 2001, and the Committee’s concluding observations on it can be found in document E/C.12/1/Add.74. The Committee considered the second periodic report of Algeria on 15 November 2001, and concluding observations on it are contained in the document E/C.12/1/Add.71. On 27 and 28 November 1995 the Committee examined the initial report of Mauritius, and its concluding observations on that report can be found in document E/C.12/1995/18 (paras. 228-247). And the Committee considered the first periodic report of Afghanistan from 25 to 28 November 1991, issuing concluding observations on it in document E/C.12/1991/4 (paras. 55- 94).

The previous concluding observations of the Committee can be accessed on the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Website document search page. The main documents before the Committee in respect of these countries are accessible from the Committee’s web page for the current session, including the reports submitted by the States parties, lists of questions posed by the Committee in respect of those reports, previous concluding observations issued by the Committee on State reports, and supplementary information submitted by non-governmental organizations. At the end of the session, the concluding observations of the Committee on each State party will also be accessible in advanced unedited form from this site.

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

The General Assembly adopted and opened the Covenant for signature, ratification and accession in 1966. It entered into force on 3 January 1976.

Article 1 of the Covenant states that the right to self-determination is universal, and calls upon States to promote the realization and respect of that right. Article 3 reaffirms the equal right of men and women to the enjoyment of all human rights and enjoins States to make that principle a reality. Article 5 provides safeguards against the destruction or undue limitation of any human right or fundamental freedom, and against misinterpretation of any provision of the Covenant as a means of justifying infringement of a right or freedom or its restriction to a greater extent than provided in the Covenant. It also prevents States from limiting rights already enjoyed within their territories on the ground that such rights are not recognized, or recognized to a lesser extent, in the Covenant.

Articles 6 to 15 recognize the right to work; to the enjoyment of just and favourable conditions of work; to form and join trade unions; to social security, including social insurance; to the widest possible protection and assistance for the family, mothers, children and younger persons; to an adequate standard of living; to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; to an education and to take part in cultural life.

The Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights is an international treaty establishing complaint and inquiry mechanisms for the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. It was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 2008, and opened for signature on 24 September 2009. To date, the Protocol has 32 signatories and no parties. It will enter into force when ratified by 10 States parties.

States Parties to the Covenant

The Covenant has been ratified or acceded to by 160 States: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Germany, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

The Committee is composed of the following 18 Experts: Aslan Khuseinovich Abashidze (Russian Federation); Mohamed Ezzeldin Adel-Moneim (Egypt); Clement Atangana (Cameroon); Rocio Barahona Riera (Costa Rica): Virginia Bonoan-Dandan (Philippines); Maria Virginia Bras Gomes (Portugal); Chandrashekhar Dasgupta (India); Zdislaw Kedzia (Poland); Azzouz Kerdoun (Algeria); Jaime Marchan Romero (Ecuador); Sergei Martynov (Belarus); Ariranga Govindasamy Pillay (Mauritius); Eibe Riedel (Germany); Walid M. Sa'di (Jordan); Nikolaas Jan Schrijver (Netherlands); Philippe Texier (France); Alvaro Tirado Mejia (Colombia); and Daode Zhan (China).

Mr. Marchan Romero is the Chairperson; Mr. Abel-Moneim, Ms. Bras Gomes and Mr. Sa’di are the Vice Chairpersons; and Mr. Kedzia is the Committee Rapporteur.

Provisional Timetable for Consideration of Reports

Tuesday, 4 May

Morning: Colombia, fifth periodic report (E/C.12/COL/5)
Afternoon: Colombia (continued)

Wednesday, 5 May

Morning: Colombia (continued)
Afternoon: Algeria, third to fourth periodic reports (E/C.12/DZA/4)

Thursday, 6 May

Morning: Algeria (continued)
Afternoon: Algeria (continued)

Friday, 7 May

Morning: Mauritius, second to fourth periodic reports (E/C.12/MUS/4)
Afternoon: Mauritius (continued)

Monday, 10 May

Morning: Mauritius (continued)
Afternoon: Kazakhstan, initial report (E/C.12/KAZ/1)

Tuesday, 11 May

Morning: Kazakhstan (continued)
Afternoon: Kazakhstan (continued)

Wednesday, 12 May

Morning: Afghanistan, second to fourth periodic reports (E/C.12/AFG/2-4)
Afternoon: Afghanistan (continued)

Friday, 14 May

Morning: Afghanistan (continued)

Friday, 21 May

Afternoon: Public closing

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