Status of the International Covenants on Human Rights.

1985/45. Status of the International Covenants on Human Rights[1]130

The Commission on Human Rights, Mindful that the International Covenants on Human Rights constitute the first all-embracing and legally binding international treaties in the field of human rights and, together with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, form the heart of the International Bill of Human Rights, Recalling its resolution 1984/18 of 6 March 1984 and General Assembly resolution 39/136 of 14 December 1984, Having considered the report of the Secretary-General on the status of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,[2]131 Noting with appreciation that, following the appeals of the General Assembly and the Commission, more Member States have acceded to the International Covenants on Human Rights and to the Optional Protocol, Recognizing the important role of the Human Rights Committee in the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Optional Protocol thereto, Taking into account the work of the Sessional Working Group of Governmental Experts on the Implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Bearing in mind the important and increasing responsibilities of the Economic and Social Council in relation to the International Covenants on Human Rights,

1. Reaffirms the importance of the International Covenants on Human Rights as major parts of international efforts to promote universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms;

2. Appreciates that the Human Rights Committee continues to strive for uniform standards in the implementation of the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Optional Protocol thereto;

3. Invites all States which have not yet done so to become parties to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as well as to consider acceding to the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

4. Again invites the States parties to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to consider making the declaration provided for in article 41 of the Covenant;

5. Emphasizes the importance of the strictest compliance by States parties with their obligations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and, where applicable, the Optional Protocol thereto;

6. Stresses, in particular, the obligations of a State party availing itself of the right of derogation from the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in accordance with article 4, paragraph 1, of the Covenant to inform the other States parties and the Human Rights Committee immediately, through the intermediary of the Secretary-General, of the provisions from which it has derogated and of the reasons by which it was actuated;

7. Notes with satisfaction that the majority of States parties to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and an increasing number of States parties to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, have been represented by experts for the presentation of their reports, thereby assisting the Human Rights Committee and the Economic and Social Council in their work, and hopes that all States parties to both Covenants will arrange such representation in the future;

8. Welcomes Economic and Social Council decision 1985/105 of 8 February 1985, by which the Council accepted the interim arrangement proposed by the Human Rights Committee under which the Committee would transmit to the Council, on a regular basis, the text of its general comments in accordance with article 40, paragraph 4, of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, for consideration by the Council at its first regular session, and requests the Secretary-General to transmit the text of those comments to the Commission on Human Rights on a regular basis;

9. Looks forward to the report of the Secretary-General to be submitted to the Economic and Social Council at its first regular session of 1985 on the composition, organization and administrative arrangements of the Sessional Working Group of Governmental Experts on the Implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and other bodies established in accordance with existing international instruments in the field of human rights, and welcomes the decision of the Council in its resolution 1984/9 of 24 May 1984 to undertake the review at an early date during its first regular session of 1985 to allow enough time for a full discussion of this important matter;

10. Urges the Secretary-General, taking into account the suggestions of the Human Rights Committee, to take determined steps within existing resources to give more publicity to the work of the Human Rights Committee, the Economic and Social Council and its Sessional Working Group and to improve the administrative and related arrangements to enable them to carry out their respective functions effectively under the International Covenants on Human Rights;

11. Encourages once again all Governments to publish the texts of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in as many languages as possible and to distribute them and make them known as widely as possible in their territories;

12. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the Commission on Human Rights, at its forty-second session, a report on the status of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and to include in this report information on the work of the Economic and Social Council and its Sessional Working Group of Governmental Experts on the Implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights;

13. Requests the Secretary-General to consider ways and means, within existing resources, of assisting States parties to the Covenants in the preparation of their reports, including the awarding of fellowships to government officials engaged in the preparation of such reports, regional training courses and other possibilities available under the programme of advisory services in the field of human rights;

14. Decides to consider at its forty-second session an agenda item entitled "Status of the International Covenants on Human Rights".

---

[1]130 Adopted at 57th meeting, on 14 March 1985, without a vote. See chap. XVIII. [2]131 A/39/461.