Status of the International Covenants on Human Rights.

1987/26. Status of the International Covenants on Human Rights

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 1986/17 of 10 March 1986 and General Assembly resolution 41/119 of 4 December 1986, Calling attention to the fact that 1986 marked the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 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 (A/41/509), Noting in this regard that only half of the States Members of the United Nations have acceded to the International Covenants on Human Rights, Bearing in mind the important responsibilities of the Economic and Social Council in relation to the co-ordination of activities undertaken in accordance with 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. Appeals strongly to all States that have not yet become parties to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to do so, as well as to consider acceding to the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, so that these instruments acquire genuine universality;

3. Invites the Secretary-General to intensify systematic efforts to encourage States to become parties to the International Covenants and, through the programme of advisory services in the field of human rights, to provide technical assistance to the States that are not parties to the Covenants, with a view to assisting them to ratify them or accede thereto;

4. Again invites the States parties to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which have not yet done so 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 to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

6. Stresses to States parties the importance of avoiding the erosion of human rights by derogation and underlines the necessity for strict observance of the agreed condition and procedure for derogation under article 4 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, bearing in mind the need for States parties to provide the fullest possible information during states of emergency, so that the justification and appropriateness of measures taken in these circumstances can be assessed;

7. Recommends to States parties that they periodically review any reservations made in respect of the provisions of the International Covenants on Human Rights to ascertain whether they should be maintained;

8. Recognizes 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, expresses its satisfaction with the serious and constructive manner in which the Committee is continuing to undertake its functions and requests the Secretary-General to continue to transmit the general comments of the Human Rights Committee to the Commission on Human Rights on a regular basis;

9. Welcomes the continuing efforts of the Human Rights Committee to strive for uniform standards in the implementation of the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and appeals to other bodies dealing with similar questions of human rights to respect these uniform standards as expressed in the general comments of the Human Rights Committee;

10. Welcomes the decision of the Economic and Social Council, in its resolution 1985/17 of 28 May 1985, to establish the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which, as of 1987, is entrusted with the important task of overseeing the implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights;

11. Encourages the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to strive towards the application of universally recognized criteria in the implementation of the Covenant;

12. 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, the organization of regional and subregional training courses and the exploration of other possibilities available under the programme of advisory services in the field of human rights;

13. Again 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 and, similarly, to the work of the Economic and Social Council and the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 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;

14. 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;

15. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure that the Human Rights Committee and the Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights, which have important and specific tasks entrusted to them, are provided with the necessary sessions and summary records;

16. Notes with satisfaction the publication of the first volumes of the official public records of the Human Rights Committee and looks forward to the early publication of further volumes;

17. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the Commission on Human Rights, at its forty-fourth 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, including all reservations and declarations, and to include in that report information on the work of the Economic and Social Council and the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights;

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

54th meeting
10 March 1987
[Adopted without a vote. See chap. XVIII.]
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