Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Sixty-third session

Summary record (partial)* of the of the 28th meeting**

Held at the Palais Wilson, Geneva, on Thursday, 29 March 2018, at 3 p.m.

Chair:Ms. Bras Gomes

Contents

Substantive issues arising from the implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (continued)

Consideration of reports (continued)

(a)Reports submitted by States parties in accordance with articles 16 and 17 of the Covenant (continued)

Closure of the session

The discussion covered in the summary record began at 4.45 p.m.

Substantive issues arising from the implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (continued)

The Chair, reviewing the activities and meetings that had taken place during the session, said that a joint opening meeting had been held with the Human Rights Committee to mark the seventieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Committee had considered the reports of six States parties, namely Bangladesh, Central African Republic, Mexico, New Zealand, the Niger and Spain. Two reports, those of New Zealand and Spain, had been considered for the first time under the simplified reporting procedure.

The Committee had examined two communications under the Optional Protocol to the Covenant. One had been declared inadmissible, and a violation of the Covenant had been found in the case of the other communication. The Committee had continued to work on its general comments, including one on the right to science, one on land and economic, social and cultural rights, and one on sustainable development and economic, social and cultural rights. A one-day consultation focusing on the latter general comment had been held with the support of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung.

In addition, the Committee had discussed its working methods, including the simplified reporting procedure and the preparation of lists of issues. It had also held a joint meeting with the Human Rights Committee to explore ways of improving collaboration and strengthening the treaty bodies’ monitoring role. The Committee had held an informal meeting with States to hear comments and respond to queries, and had met with various stakeholders, including the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, the Center for Economic and Social Rights, Lancaster University and numerous non-governmental organizations, to discuss issues such as maximum available resources and the role of Covenant rights in sustaining peace. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights had briefed the Committee on its development of indicators on the right to sexual and reproductive health.

At the sixty-fourth session, which would take place from 24 September to 12 October 2018, the Committee would review the reports of Argentina, Cabo Verde, Germany, Mali, South Africa and Turkmenistan. The pre-sessional working group would meet between 3 and 6 April 2018 to adopt lists of issues regarding the reports of Cameroon, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Mauritius and Slovakia.

Consideration of reports (continued)

Reports submitted by States parties in accordance with articles 16 and 17 of the Covenant (continued)

The Chair said that, if there were no objections, she would take it that the Committee wished to adopt its concluding observations on the reports of Bangladesh (E/C.12/BGD/CO/1), Central African Republic (E/C.12/CAF/CO/1), Mexico (E/C.12/MEX/CO/5-6), New Zealand (E/C.12/NZL/CO/4), the Niger (E/C.12/NER/CO/1) and Spain (E/C.12/ESP/CO/6).

It was so decided.

Closure of the session

Following an exchange of courtesies, the Chair declared closed the sixty-third session of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

The meeting rose at 4.55 p.m.