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

The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights this afternoon concluded its fifty-fourth session after adopting its concluding observations and recommendations on the reports of Gambia, Paraguay and Tajikistan on their implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

During its two-week session the Committee conducted dialogues with representatives of Paraguay and Tajikistan, with respect to their reports submitted, and considered the report of Gambia in the absence of a delegation. The Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations for the three reports will be available on the Committee’s webpage on Monday, 9 March 2015.

In closing remarks, the Chairperson of the Committee, Waleed Sadi, noted that the Committee had continued its work on thematic issues related to the Covenant and adopted a Statement on Social Protection Floors, subtitled ‘An essential element of the right to social security and of the sustainable development goals’. The Committee had also discussed two draft general comments, on The Right to Sexual and Reproductive Health (Article 12 of the Covenant) and on The Right to Just and Favourable Conditions of Work (Article 7 of the Covenant). The Chairperson announced that a Half Day of General Discussion on The Right to Just and Favourable Conditions of Work would take place during the Committee’s June 2015 session.

The session began with the election of officers for the next two years, including a new Chairperson, three Vice-Chairpersons and a Rapporteur, and appointment of new members of the Working Group on Communications, recalled the Chairperson. The Committee met with non-governmental organizations and national human rights institutions to hear information with respect to the country reports bring reviewed during the session. It additionally discussed organizational matters and its methods of work, including treaty body strengthening and the question of working languages. The Committee proceeded with its work related to the Optional Protocol to the Covenant and considered how to engage with third parties seeking to provide information to the Committee.

The Chairperson noted that 28 States Parties had not yet submitted initial reports. The Committee had invited all non-reporting States to a meeting on 27 February but unfortunately only two States could attend the meeting. The Chairperson said they would see how best to engage with those States to remind them of their obligations and continue to actively seek modalities of encouraging States to meet their obligations in that respect.

The Committee’s fifty-fifth session will be held from 1 to 19 June 2015 during which it is scheduled to consider the reports of Chile, Ireland, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Thailand, Uganda, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) .


For use of the information media; not an official record

ESC15/006E