27th plenary meeting

6 May 1982

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*

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 responsibilities,

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 Sessional Working Group, and decision 1981/158 of 8 May 1981, by which it incorporated certain changes in, and modified the methods of work of, the Sessional Working Group,

Recalling further its resolution 1980/24 of 2 May 1980, by which it noted that the Sessional Working Group, established under Council decision 1978/10, had encountered certain difficulties in discharging its responsibilities under the current arrangements and requested the Secretary-General to solicit the views of members of the Council and all States parties to the Covenant on the future composition, organization and administrative arrangements of the Sessional Working Group and to submit a report thereon, together with any comments he might wish to make, to the Council at its organizational session for 1981, in order to assist the Council in reviewing its decision 1978/10,

Recalling its decision 1981/162 of 8 May 1981, by which it decided to review the composition, organization and administrative arrangements of the Sessional Working Group at its first regular session of 1982,

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 shall be renamed "Sessional Working Group of Governmental Experts on the Implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights" (hereinafter referred to as the "Group of Experts");

(b) The l5 members of the Group of Experts shall be elected by the Economic and Social Council from among the States parties to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, in accordance with the geographical distribution established by the Council in paragraph (a) of its decision 1978/10, under the following conditions:

(i) The members of the Group of Experts shall be elected for a term of three years and shall be eligible for re-election at the end of their terms;

(ii) One third of the membership of the Group of Experts, comprising one member from each regional group, shall be renewed each year;

(iii) The first elections shall take place during the resumed second regular session of 1982 of the Economic and Social Council and the confirmation of the experts designated by Member States to represent them in the Group of Experts shall take place at the organizational session for 1983 of the Council; immediately after the first elections, the President of the Council shall choose by lot the name of one member from each regional group whose term shall expire at the end of one year and the name of another member from each regional group whose term shall expire at the end of two years;

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

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

(vi) Each Member State elected to the Group of Experts shall designate, in consultation with the Secretary-General and subject to confirmation by the Council, a qualified person to represent that Member State in the Group of Experts;

(vii) The person so designated by his or her Government shall be an expert with recognized competence in the field of human rights;

(c) The Group of Experts shall meet annually for a period of three weeks, beginning two weeks before the first regular session of the Council;

the duration of each session may be extended by the Council at its organizational session, if required, taking into account the number of reports to be examined by the Group of Experts in the course of its following session;

(d) At the end of each of its sessions, the Group of Experts shall submit to the Economic and Social Council a report on its activities and shall make suggestions and recommendations of a general nature based on its consideration of reports submitted by States parties to the Covenant and by the specialized agencies, in order to assist the Council to fulfil, in particular, its responsibilities under articles 21 and 22 of the Covenant;

(e) The Secretary-General shall provide the Group of Experts with summary records of its proceedings; those summary records shall be made available to the Council at the same time as the report of the Group of Experts; the Secretary-General shall also provide the Group of Experts with appropriate conference facilities;

(f) The Economic and Social Council shall review the composition, organization and administrative arrangements of the Group of Experts at its first regular session of 1985, and subsequently every three years, taking into account the principle of equitable geographical distribution and the increase in the number of States parties to the Covenant;

(g) The procedures and methods of work established by the resolutions and decisions referred to in the preamble to the present resolution shall remain in force in so far as they are not modified by the present resolution.

* For the text of the Covenant, See General Assembly resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex