COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS CONCLUDES FIFTY-SEVENTH SESSION

The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights this afternoon concluded its fifty-seventh session after adopting its concluding observations and recommendations on the reports of Namibia, Canada and Kenya on their implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations for the reports will be available on the webpage of the session on Monday, 7 March at 6 p.m.

In closing remarks, Waleed Sadi, the Committee Chairperson, said that 2016 marked the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the two Covenants, which would be celebrated throughout the year. During the session, the Committee conducted dialogues with the representatives of Namibia, Canada and Kenya, and proceeded with its work related to the Optional Protocol to the Covenant. The Committee examined two communications under the Optional Protocol and declared one inadmissible and in the other case found no violation. The session saw the first adoption of lists of issues prior to reporting – on Bulgaria, Australia and New Zealand, which would be a “pilot” procedure.

The Committee also adopted two General Comments: the General Comment 22 on the right to sexual and reproductive health, and the General Comment 23 on the right to just and favourable conditions of work. In the course of the session, Mr. Sadi continued, the Committee had discussed the outline of a General Comment on human rights, the environment and development, as well as two substantive statements - on public debts and on the refugee/mixed migration flows. The Committee had also addressed matters related to the anniversary of the two Covenants and the treaty body strengthening process.

On 26 February, the Committee held an informal meeting with States, which discussed the issues of simplified reporting procedures, time dedicated to country reviews, the San Jose Guidelines, communications and General Comments.

The session had begun by hearing from Simon Walker, Chief of the Civil, Political, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Section, Human Rights Treaties Division at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Mr. Walker noted that 2016 marked the fiftieth year of the two original Covenants, which was a moment to reflect on the growing economic inequalities and various threats to the fulfilment of economic and social rights. Marking the fiftieth anniversary was one of the Office’s main priorities for 2016. The Committee also heard from non-governmental organizations from Canada and Kenya in order to receive information with respect to the country reports bring reviewed during the session.

The Committee’s fifty-eighth session will be held in Geneva from 6 to 24 June 2016, for which the tentative programme has been adopted. During the session, the Committee will consider reports of Angola, Burkina Faso, France, Honduras, Sweden, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the United Kingdom.


For use of the information media; not an official record

ESC16/007E