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 Rights1

XXIX. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS OF THE THIRD COMMITTEE
3270. 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

The General Assembly, Having noted 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,[1] Recalling its resolutions 2200 A (XXI) of 16 December 1966 and 3142 (XXVIII) of 14 December 1973, and in particular its belief that the coming into force of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and its Optional Protocol will greatly enhance the ability of the United Nations to promote and encourage respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion, and will contribute to the attainment of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, Noting with appreciation that following its appeal several Member States have acceded to the International Covenants on Human Rights, Recalling also its resolution 3060 (XXVIII) of 2 November 1973 relating to the observance of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in which the General Assembly invited States which had not yet done so to ratify, inter alia, 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, Desiring to assist in hastening the process of ratification and bringing into force those instruments,

1. Recommends that Member States should give special attention to the possibilities of accelerating as far as possible the internal procedures that would lead to the ratification 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. Expresses the hope that 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 will come into force in the near future, if possible by the thirtieth session of the General Assembly, and thus promote and encourage respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms;

3. Requests the Secretary-General, pursuant, to General Assembly resolutions 2200 A (XXI) of 16 December 1966, 2788 (XXVI) of 6 December 1971 and 3142 (XXVIII) of 14 December 1973, to prepare, on the basis of communications from Governments, and submit to the Assembly at its thirtieth session a report on the progress of the ratification of the International Covenants on Human Rights and the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

4. Invites all States to become parties to the International Covenants on Human Rights.

2311th plenary meeting
10 December 1974


[1] A/9720 and Add. 1.
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