Question of the realization in all countries of the economic, social and cultural rights contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and study of special problems which the developing countries face in their efforts to achieve these human rights.

1990/17. Question of the realization in all countries of the economic. social and cultural rights contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and study of special problems which the developing countries face in their efforts to achieve these human rights

The Commission on Human Rights, Recalling that the peoples of the United Nations have reaffirmed in the Charter their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women, and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom, Mindful that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides that all persons are entitled to the realization of their economic, social and cultural rights which are indispensable to their dignity and the free development of their personality, Recalling the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and reaffirming that all human rights and fundamental freedoms are indivisible and interrelated and that the promotion and protection of one category of rights should never exempt or excuse States from the promotion and protection of the other rights, Convinced that equal attention and urgent consideration should be given to the implementation, promotion and protection of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, Aware that, despite progress achieved by the international community with respect to the setting of standards for the realization of the economic, social and cultural rights contained in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the implementation and promotion of these rights and the problems of their realization have not received sufficient attention within the framework of the United Nations system, Recognizing that, in accordance with the provisions of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Member States, individually and through international co-operation, should intensify their efforts to secure an adequate standard of living for all people, giving priority to those living in extreme poverty, Recalling the essential importance of national efforts and international co-operation based on free consent to the realization of the right of all persons to an adequate standard of living for themselves and their families, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to a continuous improvement in living conditions, Conscious of the need to secure full respect for the rights contained in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, including the rights of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged, Recognizing that popular participation in its various forms is an important factor in development and in the full realization of all human rights, Reaffirming the importance of increasing public awareness of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the role that non-governmental organizations can play in that regard, Welcoming the efforts made with a view to an intensive study of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and recognizing the urgent need for a more vigorous and effective multidisciplinary approach to the promotion and protection of the rights contained in the Covenant,

1. Welcomes the contribution of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which continues to give impetus to the implementation of the economic, social and cultural rights contained in the Covenant;

2. Encourages States parties to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to give their full support and co-operation to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, inter alia, by ensuring that expert representatives are designated for the presentation of States' reports and by the preparation, in consultation with relevant government departments and agencies, of succinct information;

3. Welcomes the establishment by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of a pre-sessional working group to ensure better preparation for the Committee's work, and invites the Committee to continue to develop as a matter of priority its general guidelines for the preparation of reports pursuant to articles 16 and 17 of the Covenant, taking due account of the compilation of guidelines prepared by the Secretary-General (A/40/600/Add.1) and focusing on such specific information as would assist the Committee to carry out its mandate more effectively;

4. Welcomes the adoption by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of a general comment at both its third and fourth sessions, and encourages the Committee to continue using that mechanism to develop a fuller appreciation of the obligations of States parties under the Covenant;

5. Welcomes the dialogue between the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Special Rapporteur of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities on the realization of economic social and cultural rights, Mr. Danilo Türk, and expresses the hope that the dialogue will continue;

6. Invites States parties, in conformity with article 2, paragraph 1, of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, to consider identifying bench marks to measure achievements in the progressive realization of the rights recognized in the Covenant, and in this context to pay particular regard to the most vulnerable and disadvantaged;

7. Affirms that full respect for the rights contained in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights is inextricably linked with the process of development, the central purpose of which is the realization of the potentialities of the human person in harmony with the effective participation of all members of society in relevant decision making processes as agents and beneficiaries of development, as well as fair distribution of the benefits of development;

8. Invites Member States to include measures to ensure the promotion and protection of human rights in national development policies and programme

9. Welcomes the Committee's decision to devote one day at each of its sessions to a general discussion of one specific right or a particular article of the Covenant in order to develop in greater depth its understanding of the relevant issues, and urges States parties, the specialized agencies and non-governmental organizations to contribute actively to the Committee's work through the various opportunities provided for in both written statements and oral interventions;

10. Welcomes the Committee's focus in its general comment on article 22 of the Covenant, adopted at its fourth session (see E/1990/23, annex III), or the means by which the various United Nations agencies working in the field of development could seek to integrate measures designed to promote full respect for economic, social and cultural rights in their activities;

11. Requests the Secretary-General to intensify co-ordination between the human rights activities of the United Nations and the programmes of development agencies and, in this regard, notes the relevance of the programme of advisory services;

12. Requests the Secretary-General to consult the Committee with a view to eliciting its recommendations as to how the programme of advisory services in the field of human rights could best be used to promote enhanced respect for economic, social and cultural rights;

13. Urges the Economic and Social Council, in reviewing its activities pursuant to General Assembly resolution 41/213 of 19 December 1986, to bear in mind its central responsibility for effective implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, while paying due regard to the distinctive character of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in its capacity as a treaty body;

14. Invites the Economic and Social Council, pursuant to article 22 of the Covenant, to identify ways in which international co-operation and technical assistance would contribute, particularly in developing countries, to the effective progressive implementation of the rights recognized in the Covenant;

15. Welcomes the preliminary report on the realization of economic, social and cultural rights prepared by the Special Rapporteur of the Sub-Commission (E/CN.4/Sub.2/1989/19);

16. Invites the Special Rapporteur, when preparing a progress report on problems, policies and progressive measures relating to a more effective realization of economic, social and cultural rights, to take into account comments made in the Commission on Human Rights, and requests that in the report priority be given to identifying practical strategies to promote for everyone the economic, social and cultural rights contained in the Covenant, paying particular attention to the most vulnerable and disadvantaged;

17. Decides to consider issues raised by the present resolution again at its forty-seventh session under the agenda item "Question of the realization in all countries of the economic, social and cultural rights contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and study of special problems which the developing countries face in their efforts to achieve these human rights".

38th meeting
23 February 1990
[Adopted without a vote. See chap. VII.]