Introduction of the report of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Document E/2014/22) By Mr. Ivan Šimonović,, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights

Economic and Social Council

Coordination and Management Meeting
New York, 17-18 November 2014

Agenda item 17(g):  Human rights, New York, 17 November 2014

Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,

I would now like to refer to the report of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on its fiftieth and fifty-first sessions (E/2014/22, Supp. No.2), which is also before this Council.

 Let me use the opportunity to highlight a few more issues related to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and its Optional Protocol, as well as to the Committee which monitors implementation of these instruments.

With regard to the work of the Committee, at its fiftieth and fifty-first Sessions, it considered reports submitted by seventeen States parties to the Covenant. The respective States parties reports and concluding observations are listed in Chapter IV. The increase in the number of reports considered was made possible following the approval of this Council to grant additional meeting time to the Committee.

The fifty-first Session thus benefitted from one additional week of meeting time. On this point, let me use this opportunity to refer to General Assembly Resolution 68/268 on the strengthening and enhancing of the effective functioning of the human rights treaty body system. This Resolution has a direct bearing on the work of the Committee, as well as its Report which is before you. Notably, as the General Assembly has approved additional meeting time for the treaty bodies as of 2015, the ad hoc request in the form of a draft decision contained in para. 6 the report of CESCR is therefore no longer of relevance.

The Report offers further information on substantive and procedural issues discussed by the Committee; its activities related to the Optional Protocol; its work on general comments and working methods as well as interaction with other stakeholders. The Report further provides an account of the meetings of the Committee’s pre-sessional Working Group and other activities during the inter-sessional period.

The international Covenant now has 162 States parties. I would like to take this opportunity to urge members of this Council, parties to the Covenant, to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Covenant which has now reached sixteen ratifications. We look forward to further ratifications of the Optional Protocol allowing for individual petitions, as it will contribute to strengthening the promotion and protection of economic, social and cultural rights worldwide.

Distinguished delegates,

I would also like to take this opportunity to inform the Council that the General Assembly has invited the Chairperson of the Committee to continue to address it and to engage in an interactive dialogue, at its 69th and 70th Sessions under the item “protection and promotion of human rights”. This demonstrates the increasing importance given to the work of the Committee, and also provides a further opportunity for States to interact with the Chair.

Furthermore, related to the work of the General Assembly, allow me to draw your attention to para 11 of the Resolution 68/268 mentioned earlier, which is addressed to this Council and reads “Recommends that the Economic and Social Council consider replacing the existing procedure for the election of experts to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights with a meeting of States parties to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,6 while preserving the current structure, organization and administrative arrangement of the Committee as set forth in Council resolution 1985/17”.  I hope that you will have the opportunity to consider this issue as well during your deliberations. I wish you all success and thank you for your attention.