International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

PART IV

Article 16. 1. The States Parties to the present Covenant undertake to
submit in conformity with this part of the Covenant reports on the measures
which they have adopted and the progress made in achieving the observance
of the rights recognized herein.

2. (a) All reports shall be submitted to the Secretary-General of the
United Nations, who shall transmit copies to the Economic and Social
Council for consideration in accordance with the provisions of the present
Covenant.
(b) The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall also transmit to
the specialized agencies copies of the reports, or any relevant parts
therefrom, from States Parties to the present Covenant which are also
members of these specialized agencies in so far as these reports, or
parts therefrom, relate to any matters which fall within the
responsibilities of the said agencies in accordance with their
constitutional instruments.

Article 17. 1. The States Parties to the present Covenant shall furnish
their reports in stages, in accordance with a programme to be established
by the Economic and Social Council within one year of the entry into force
of the present Covenant after consultation with the States Parties and the
specialized agencies concerned.

2. Reports may indicate factors and difficulties affecting the degree of
fulfilment of obligations under the present Covenant.

3. Where relevant information has previously been furnished to the United
Nations or to any specialized agency by any State Party to the present
Covenant, it will not be necessary to reproduce that information, but a
precise reference to the information so furnished will suffice.

Article 18. Pursuant to its responsibilities under the Charter of the
United Nations in the field of human rights and fundamental freedoms, the
Economic and Social Council may make arrangements with the specialized
agencies in respect of their reporting to it on the progress made in
achieving the observance of the provisions of the present Covenant falling
within the scope of their activities. These reports may include particulars
of decisions and recommendations on such implementation adopted by their
competent organs.

Article 19. The Economic and Social Council may transmit to the Commission
on Human Rights for study and general recommendation or as appropriate for
information the reports concerning human rights submitted by States in
accordance with articles 16 and 17, and those concerning human rights
submitted by the specialized agencies in accordance with article 18.

Article 20. The States Parties to the present Covenant and the specialized
agencies concerned may submit comments to the Economic and Social Council
on any general recommendation under article 19 or reference to such general
recommendation in any report of the Commission on Human Rights or any
documentation referred to therein.

Article 21. The Economic and Social Council may submit from time to time to
the General Assembly reports with recommendations of a general nature and a
summary of the information received from the States Parties to the present
Covenant and the specialized agencies on the measures taken and the progres
s made in achieving general observance of the rights recognized in the
present Covenant.

Article 22. The Economic and Social Council may bring to the attention of
other organs of the United Nations, their subsidiary organs and specialized
agencies concerned with furnishing technical assistance any matters arising
out of the reports referred to in this part of the present Covenant which
may assist such bodies in deciding, each within its field of competence, on
the advisability of international measures likely to contribute to the
effective progressive implementation of the present Covenant.

Article 23. The States Parties to the present Covenant agree that
international action for the achievement of the rights recognized in the
present Covenant includes such methods as the conclusion of conventions,
the adoption of recommendations, the furnishing of technical assistance and
the holding of regional meetings and technical meetings for the purpose of
consultation and study organized in conjunction with the Governments
concerned.

Article 24. Nothing in the present Covenant shall be interpreted as
impairing the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations and of the
Constitutions of the specialized agencies which define the respective
responsibilities of the various organs of the United Nations and of the
specialized agencies in regard to the matters dealt with in the present
Covenant.

Article 25. Nothing in the present Covenant shall be interpreted as
impairing the inherent right of all peoples to enjoy and utilize fully and
freely their natural wealth and resources.

PART V

Article 26. 1. The present Covenant is open for signature by any State
Member of the United Nations or member of any of its specialized agencies,
by any State Party to the Statute of the International Court of Justice ,
and by any other State which has been invited by the General Assembly of
the United Nations to become a party to the present Covenant.

2. The present Covenant is subject to ratification. Instruments of
ratification shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United
Nations.

3. The present Covenant shall be open to accession by any State referred to
in paragraph I of this article.

4. Accession shall be effected by the deposit of an instrument of accession
with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

5. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall inform all States
which have signed the present Covenant or acceded to it of the deposit of
each instrument of ratification or accession.

Article 27. 1. The present Covenant shall enter into force three months
after the date of the deposit with the Secretary-General of the United
Nations of the thirty-fifth instrument of ratification or instrument of
accession.

2. For each State ratifying the present Covenant or acceding to it after
the deposit of the thirty-fifth instrument of ratification or instrument of
accession, the present Covenant shall enter into force three months after
the date of the deposit of its own instrument of ratification or instrument
of accession.

Article 28. The provisions of the present Covenant shall extend to all
parts of federal States without any limitations or exceptions.

Article 29. 1. Any State Party to the present Covenant may propose an
amendment and file it with the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The
Secretary-General shall thereupon communicate any proposed amendments to
the States Parties to the present Covenant with a request that they notify
him whether they favour a conference of States Parties for the purpose of
considering and voting upon the proposals. In the event that at least one
third of the States Parties favours such a conference, the
Secretary-General shall convene the conference under the auspices of the
United Nations. Any amendment adopted by a majority of the States Parties
present and voting at the conference shall be submitted to the General
Assembly of the United Nations for approval.

2. Amendments shall come into force when they have been approved by the
General Assembly of the United Nations and accepted by a two-thirds
majority of the States Parties to the present Covenant in accordance with
their respective constitutional processes.

3. When amendments come into force they shall be binding on those States
Parties which have accepted them, other States Parties still being bound by
the provisions of the present Covenant and any earlier amendment which they
have accepted.

Article 30. Irrespective of the notifications made under article 26,
paragraph 5, the Secretary-General of the United Nations shall inform all
States referred to in paragraph I of the same article of the following
particulars:
(a) signatures, ratifications and accessions under article 26;
(b) the date of the entry into force of the present Covenant under
article 27 and the date of the entry into force of any amendments
under article 29.

Article 31. 1. The present Covenant, of which the Chinese, English, French,
Russian and Spanish texts are equally authentic, shall be deposited in the
archives of the United Nations.

2. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall transmit certified
copies of the present Covenant to all States referred to in article 26.

IN FAITH WHEREOF the undersigned, being duly authorized thereto by their
respective Governments, have signed the present Covenant, opened for
signature at New York, on the nineteenth day of December, one thousand nine
hundred and sixty-six.

Author: international

Mentioned in these Entries

Charter of the United Nations, Constitutions, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Statute of the International Court of Justice.