Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Concludes Seventy-Third Session after Adopting Concluding Observations on Reports of Cambodia, China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China, Macao Special Administrative Region of China, Lithuania, Panama, Portugal and Yemen

The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights this afternoon concluded its seventy-third session after adopting concluding observations on the reports of Cambodia, China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China, Macao Special Administrative Region of China, Lithuania, Panama, Portugal and Yemen.

The concluding observations will be transmitted to the States and available on the webpage of the session on the afternoon of Monday, 6 March.

Mohamed Ezzeldin Abdel-Moneim, Committee Chair, said this session had been held amid an economic situation that continued to adversely affect the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights for the overwhelming majority of the world population. He called on the States concerned to give due consideration to the implementation of the concluding observations and to help all those that supplied credible data on the reports reviewed. They should be encouraged and protected.

During the session, the Committee had pursued its work on its Optional Protocol and Communications received from individuals who reported that their economic, social or cultural rights had been violated.

The Working Group on Individual Communications during this session reinforced its composition with new blood, energy and distinct judiciary experience.

The Committee called on all States that were not a party to the Optional Protocol to join it. In times of rising cost of living, economic, social and cultural rights needed protection more than ever.

Next week, the seventy-second pre-sessional working group would meet with stakeholders and adopt lists of issues regarding the reports received from Croatia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The Committee would be adopting lists of issues at the next pre-sessional working group in October 2023 for Colombia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the Netherlands, the Russian Federation, Uruguay and Zimbabwe.

During the session, the Committee met with High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, whom Mr. Abdel-Moneim thanked for the support his Office was providing to the Committee and the inspiration he had given. The Committee wished Mr. Türk, the voice of human rights, great success.

Mr. Abdel-Moneim further thanked the Committee’s team and his colleagues. This had been a particularly intensive session, but the Committee had ably fulfilled its task.

He expressed hope that by the next time the Committee would meet, the international situation would not be as adversely affecting the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights as it was now, and that more people would be enjoying those rights.

In the Committee’s seventy-fourth session, starting in September 2023, it will review the reports of Armenia, Brazil, Chad, France, Qatar and the State of Palestine.

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CESCR23.010E