Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Concludes Seventy-Ninth Session after Adopting Concluding Observations on Reports of Australia, Georgia, Kenya, and Uruguay

The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights this afternoon concluded its seventy-ninth session after adopting concluding observations on the reports of Australia, Georgia, Kenya, and Uruguay under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

The concluding observations will be transmitted to the States concerned and made available on the webpage of the session on the afternoon of Friday, 27 February 2026.

Preeti Saran, Committee Chair, said during the session’s two and a half intense weeks, the Committee had engaged with four States parties, considered two follow-up reports, and adopted four list of issues. It also conducted work on communications under the Optional Protocol, continued work on the general comment on the application of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in situations of armed conflicts, and discussed a variety of other matters, including an initial reflection on artificial intelligence and economic, social and cultural rights.  The Committee also held meetings with a wide range of stakeholders, including a positive discussion with State parties.

In addition, the Committee discussed and adopted assessments on the follow-up reports of Lithuania and Tajikistan, and adopted four lists of issues on Ecuador, Egypt, Kazakhstan and Paraguay.  The concluding observations for both the follow-up reports and the lists of issues would be transmitted to the State parties concerned and made publicly available in the coming weeks.

Under the Optional Protocol, the Committee adopted decisions regarding 42 individual communications, including two decisions on the merits concerning communications against Spain and one decision declaring a communication concerning Italy inadmissible.  It also discontinued 39 individual communications concerning Italy and Spain. All cases examined concerned the right to housing.

During the session, the Committee also held informal meetings with other stakeholders including civil society.  The engagement of all concerned was appreciated.

At its eightieth session, expected to start in October 2026, the Committee planned to review the reports of Austria, Eswatini, Mexico, and Pakistan, and adopt lists of issues on Burkina Faso, Estonia, Slovakia, and Zambia. It also planned to consider and adopt assessments on the follow-up reports of Cambodia and Portugal.  Due to the financial crisis of the United Nations, the session dates could not yet be confirmed.

Ms. Saran highlighted that 21 States parties had yet to submit their initial reports, 15 of which had been overdue for more than 10 years.  As a total, 49 periodic reports remain overdue, over 16 of which had been so for over 10 years.  Ms. Saran recalled that the capacity building programme established pursuant to UNGA Resolution 68/268 (2014) was available to offer technical support to States.  All States were invited to ratify the Covenant, and those who were parties to the Covenant but had not ratified the Optional Protocol were encouraged to do so, as well as to enter the declarations for articles 10 and 11 of the Optional Protocol.

In closing, Ms. Saran thanked the Committee and all who had contributed to the busy session.  At its next session, the Committee looked forward to holding constructive dialogues with States parties, pursuing other work, and engaging with a wide variety of stakeholders with the aim of achieving the effective promotion and protection of all the rights enshrined in the Covenant.

The dates for the Committee’s eightieth session have yet to be confirmed; they will be announced in future on the Committee’s website.  During the session, the Committee is expected to review the reports of Austria, Eswatini, Mexico, and Pakistan.

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CESCR26.007E