International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

The United Nations General Assembly adopted the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on December 16, 1966. The Covenant entered into force on January 3, 1976.  Its Preamble notes that the “recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.”It has been ratified by 170 countries and has 71 signatories. India acceded to the Covenant on April 10, 1979.Invoking the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Preamble to the Covenant states that “… the ideal of free human beings enjoying freedom from fear and want can only be achieved if conditions are created whereby everyone may enjoy his economic, social and cultural rights, as well as his civil and political rights.”  The Covenant contains 31 Articles arranged in five parts. Articles 1-15 (in Parts I, II and III) cover recommendations to State Parties about securing the economic, social and cultural rights of all people. Articles 16-25 (Part IV) states the manner in which State Parties shall report about the measures they have adopted to observe the rights recognised by the Covenant. Articles 26-31 (Part V) discuss the process by which the Covenant is to be ratified and amended. (In UN documents, a ‘State Party’ to a treaty is a country that has ratified or acceded to that particular treaty, and is therefore legally bound by the provisions in the instrument).Article 1 states that all people have the right to self-determination concerning their political status and are free to pursue their own economic, social and cultural development...