Economic and Social Counci resolution 1985/17

Review of the composition, organization and administrative
arrangements of the Sessional Working Group of Governmental
Experts on the Implementation of the International Covenant
on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Economic and Social Counci resolution 1985/17


The Economic and Social Council,


Recalling its resolution 1988 (LX) of 11 May 1976, by which it noted the
important responsibilities placed upon the Economic and Social Council by the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, in
particular those resulting from articles 21 and 22 of the Covenant, and
expressed its readiness to fulfil those responsibilites,

Recalling its decision 1978/10 of 3 May 1978, by which it decided to
establish a Sessional Working Group on the Implementation of the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, for the purpose of assisting
the Council in the consideration of reports submitted by States parties to the
Covenant in accordance with Council resolution 1988 (LX), and determined the
composition of the Working Group,

Recalling also its resolution 1979/43 of 11 May 1979, by which it
approved the methods of work of the Working Group, and its decision 1981/158
of 8 May 1981, by which it incorporated certain changes in, and modified the
methods of work of, the Working Group,

Recalling further its resolution 1982/33 of 6 May 1982, by which it
modified the composition, organization and administrative arrangements of the
Sessional Working Group of Governmental Experts and decided to review the
composition, organization and administrative arrangements of the Group at its
first regular session of 1985,

Having considered the report of the Secretary-General on the composition,
organization and administrative arrangements of the Sessional Working Group of
Governmental Experts on the Implementation of the International Covenant on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and other bodies established in
accordance with existing international instruments in the field of human
rights,

Having considered the report of the Sessional Working Group of
Governmental Experts on the Implementation of the International Covenant on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,

Decides that:

(a) The Working Group established by Economic and Social Council
decision 1978/10 and modified by Council decision 1981/158 and resolution
1982/33 shall be renamed "Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights"
(hereinafter referred to as "the Committee");

(b) The Committee shall have eighteen members who shall be experts with
recognized competence in the field of human rights, serving in their personal
capacity, due consideration being given to equitable geographical distribution
and to the representation of different forms of social and legal systems; to
this end, fifteen seats will be equally distributed among the regional groups,
while the additional three seats will be allocated in accordance with the
increase in the total number of States parties per regional group;

(c) The members of the Committee shall be elected by the Council by
secret ballot from a list of persons nominated by States parties to the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights under the
following conditions:

(i) The members of the Committee shall be elected for a term of four
years and shall be eligible for re-election at the end of their
term, if renominated;

(ii) One half of the membership of the Committee shall be renewed every
second year, bearing in mind the need to maintain the equitable
geographical distribution mentioned in subparagraph (b) above;

(iii) The first elections shall take place during the first regular
session of 1986 of the Council; immediately after the first
elections, the President of the Council shall choose by lot the
names of nine members whose term shall expire at the end of two
years;

(iv) The terms of office of members elected to the Committee shall begin
on 1 January following their election and expire on 31 December
following the election of members that are to succeed them as
members of the Committee;

(v) Subsequent elections shall take place every second year during the
first regular session of the Council;

(vi) At least four months before the date of each election to the
Committee the Secretary-General shall address a written invitation
to the States parties to the Covenant to submit their nominations
for membership of the Committee within three months; the
Secretary-General shall prepare a list of the persons thus
nominated, with an indication of the States parties which have
nominated them, and shall submit it to the Council no later than one
month before the date of each election;

(d) The Committee shall meet annually for a period of up to three weeks,
taking into account the number of reports to be examined by the Committee,
with the venue alternating between Geneva and New York;

(e) The members of the Committee shall receive travel and subsistence
expenses from United Nations resources;

(f) The Committee shall submit to the Council a report on its
activities, including a summary of its consideration of the reports submitted
by States parties to the Covenant, and shall make suggestions and
recommendations of a general nature on the basis of its consideration of those
reports and of the reports submitted by the specialized agencies, in order to
assist the Council to fulfil, in particular, its responsibilities under
articles 21 and 22 of the Covenant;

(g) The Secretary-General shall provide the Committee with summary
records of its proceedings, which shall be made available to the Council at
the same time as the report of the Committee; the Secretary-General shall
further provide the Committee with the necessary staff and facilities for the
effective performance of its functions, bearing in mind the need to give
adequate publicity to its work;

(h) The procedures and methods of work established by Council resolution
1979/43 and the other resolutions and decisions referred to in the preamble to
the present resolution shall remain in force in so far as they are not
superseded or modified by the present resolution;

(i) The Council shall review the composition, organization and
administrative arrangements of the Committee at its first regular session of
1990, and subsequently every five years, taking into account the principle of
equitable geographical distribution of its membership.


22nd plenary meeting
28 May 1985