International Covenants on Human Rights.

34. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS OF THE THIRD COMMITTEE
45. International Covenants on Human Rights

The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 31/86 of 13 December 1976, 32/66 of 8 December 1977 and 33/51 of 14 December 1978, 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] Noting with appreciation that, following its appeal, more Member States have acceded to the International Covenants on Human Rights,[2] Bearing in mind the important responsibilities of the Economic and Social Council in relation to the International Covenants on Human Rights, 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,

1. Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Human Rights Committee on its sixth and seventh sessions[3] and expresses satisfaction at the serious and constructive manner in which the Committee is continuing to undertake its functions;

2. Expresses its appreciation to the States parties to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which have extended their co-operation to the Human Rights Committee when submitting their reports under article 40 of the Covenant and urges States parties which have not yet done so to submit their reports to the Committee as speedily as possible;

3. Urges States parties which have been requested by the Human Rights Committee to provide additional information to comply with that request;

4. Welcomes the information that the Economic and Social Council has now finalized arrangements for the consideration of reports submitted under the provisions of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,[4] and expresses the hope that the Council will take steps to consider those reports as soon as possible;

5. Again 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 and to consider acceding to the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

6. Welcomes the entry into force on 28 March 1979 of article 41 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and invites the States parties to the Covenant to consider making the declaration provided for in article 41;

7. 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 of the Optional Protocol thereto and emphasizes the importance of the strictest compliance by States parties with their obligations under the Covenant;

8. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to keep the Human Rights Committee informed of the activities of the Commission on Human Rights, the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities and the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and also to transmit the annual reports of the Human Rights Committee to those bodies;

9. Notes with due attention the recommendation of the Human Rights Committee regarding the holding of future meetings of the Committee in developing countries[5] and requests the Secretary-General to explore this possibility, taking into account the recommendation of the Committee, and to submit a report in this regard to the General Assembly at its thirty-fifth session;

10. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its thirty-fifth 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;

11. Further requests the Secretary-General, in preparing the report requested in Commission on Human Rights resolution 23 (XXXV) of 14 March 1979[6] concerning the development of public information activities in the field of human rights, to bear in mind the question of improving the publicity for the work of the Human Rights Committee;

12. Urges the Secretary-General to take all possible steps to ensure that the Division of Human Rights of the Secretariat is able to assist effectively the Human Rights Committee and the Economic and Social Council in the implementation of their respective functions under the International Covenants on Human Rights, taking into account General Assembly resolutions 3534 (XXX) of 17 December 1975 and 31/93 of 14 December 1976.

76th plenary meeting
23 November 1979

---

[1] A/34/440. [2] Resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex. [3] Official Records of the General Assembly, Thirty-fourth Session, Supplement No. 40 (A/34/40). [4] See Economic and Social Council resolution 1979/43 of 11 May 1979. [5] See Official Records of the General Assembly, Thirty-fourth Session, Third Committee, 3 1st meeting, para. 40. [6] See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1979, Supplement No. 6 (E/1979/36), chap. XXIV, sect. A.