Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

List of issues in relation to the second periodic report of the Sudan *

I.General information

1.Please provide information on the impact of measures taken by the State party to guarantee civil society organizations, including those working in the field of economic, social and cultural rights, the freedom to operate freely.

II.Issues relating to the general provisions of the Covenant (arts. 1–5)

Article 1, paragraph 2 – Natural wealth and resources

2.Please provide information on the extent to which the free, prior and informed consentof those affected by development projects, such as the construction of the dam referred to in paragraph 84 of the State party report (E/C.12/SDN/2), is guaranteed in law and in practice.Please explain how the State party ensures that the exploitation of natural resources leads to tangible improvements in the enjoyment of the economic, social and cultural rights of its population.

Article 2,paragraph1–Maximum available resources

3.Please indicate whether the anti-corruption measures described in paragraphs 89 to 92 of the State partyreport have led to prosecutions and convictions. Please provide information on any such cases and the sanctions imposed, if any, against high-level officials found guilty of corruption.

4.Please provide updated statistical data on the percentage of the State budget allocated to the maintenance of peace, as referred to in paragraph 275 of the State partyreport, and to sectors relevant to economic, social and cultural rights.

Article 2, paragraph 2–Non-discrimination

5.Please provide information on the measures taken to fill the legislative gapin terms of protection against discrimination on all the groundscontained in the Covenant.

6.Please indicate the extent to which the implementation of the 2007–2031 quarter-century growth-oriented strategic plan,as well as measures such as those described in paragraphs 73 and 156of the State partyreport, have progressively reduced the disparities in the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights between statesand between urban and rural areas.

Article 3–Equal rights for men and women

7.Please provide information on the positive discrimination measures taken, as provided for under article 32, paragraph 2, of the Constitution, and their impact on the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights by women.

8.Please inform the Committee about the effectiveness of the steps taken to address the cultural and social factors limiting women’s aspirations to hold high positions, as referred to in paragraph 146 of the State party report.

III.Issues relating to the specific provisions of the Covenant (arts. 6–15)

Article 6–The right to work

9.Please provide information on the impact of the measures, such as the public service placement schemementioned in paragraphs 113 and114 of the Statepartyreport, to reduce the high unemploymentin the State party, especially among young women and men in urban areas.Please also provide information on measures taken to ensure that foreign investmentsgenerate more employment opportunities for the local population.

10.Please provide information on the impact of measures taken by the State party to improve the working conditions of women in the informal economy.

Article 7–Just and favourable conditions of work

11.Please provide statistical data, disaggregated by sector and year, on labour inspections in the State party, including the percentage of companies monitored, irregularities identified and sanctions imposed.

Article 8–Trade union rights

12.Please provide information on the degree to which the right to strike is respected in practice,including data on the number of strikes. Please also indicate whether this right is guaranteed for all civil servants.Please inform the Committee of any plans to change the system of trade union monopolyin the State party so as to respect the right to form and join the trade unionof one’s choice.

Article 9–The right to social security

13.Please provide updated statistical data on the percentage of the population covered by the national pension schemeand the solidarity scheme.Please also provide information on plans to extend social security coverage to those working in the informal economy.

Article 10–Protection of and assistance for the family

14.Please provide statistical data, disaggregated by sex, age and urban/rural population, on poverty in the State party. Please provide information on measures taken to provide basic services and protection to street children, including for their integration in school, as well as to protect them from economic, sexual and other forms of exploitation.

15.Noting that the measures described in paragraphs 121 and 122 of the State partyreport, such as the provision of financing for small trade and service enterprises and the health insurance card, are targeted at the 173,000 pensioners in the State party, please provide information on measures taken by the State party to provide a basic living and social services to older persons who are not recipients of pensions, and on the impact of those services.

Article 11–The right to an adequate standard of living

16.Please indicatewhether the high rate of inflation has exacerbated the level of poverty,especially for the most disadvantaged and marginalized individuals and groups.

17.Please provide information, including statistical data, on the impact of the National Housing and Reconstruction Project, mentioned in paragraph 149 of the State partyreport, on the reduction of homelessness, including among internally displaced persons, and on access to adequate and affordable housing for the most disadvantaged and marginalized individuals and groups in the State party.

18.Please provide information on the impact of measures taken to upgrade urban slums andon the current situation of individuals and households removed from informal settlements and resettled in new towns, as mentioned in paragraph 154 of the State partyreport.

19.Please provide information on the impact of measures taken to supply water to the population in all states.Please provide information on measures taken to improve sanitation in urban and rural areas.

20.Please inform the Committee about the impact of steps taken by the State party to combat food insecurityand to ensure affordabilityand accessibility of food, including for internally displaced persons.

Article 12–The right to health

21.Please provide information onthe impact of price control and regulationson access to safe and affordable medicines.Please also provide information on the impact of measures taken to address the disparities in access to health care, given that those who are well-off currently have access to better quality services in private health care facilities.

22.Please provide information on the effectiveness of measures taken to ensure access to basic sexual and reproductive health services,particularly in rural areas and settlements for internally displaced persons. Please provide information on measures taken to train midwives. Please also provide information on measures taken to reduce the rate of teenage pregnancy.

23.Please provide additional information on the impact of measures aimed at addressing social stigma and discrimination against persons living with or affected by HIV/AIDS,and the impact of measures taken to realize their rights to education, housing, health care and social assistance.

Articles 13 and 14–The right to education

24.Please provide information on the measures taken to improve access to education, especially in remote rural areas, and to reach out to children who have never attended school.Please also provide information on the impact of the literacy programmes undertaken by the State party.

Article 15–Cultural rights

25.Please provide information on the effectiveness of the measures aimed at ensuring equal enjoyment of cultural rights by all ethnic groups,while preserving their own cultural identities and promoting intercultural understanding.Additionally, please provide information about the status and the protection of languages other than the official languages (Arabic and English) in the State party.