A/HRC/RES/31/5
United Nations
General Assembly
Distr.: General
20 April 2016
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Thirty-first session
Agenda item 3
Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on 23 March 2016
31/5.
Question of the realization in all countries of economic,
social and cultural rights
The Human Rights Council,
Guided by the principles of economic, social and cultural rights enshrined in
international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,
Recalling that the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, the 2005 World
Summit Outcome and General Assembly resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006, in which the
Assembly established the Human Rights Council, all affirm that all human rights are
universal, indivisible, interrelated, interdependent and mutually reinforcing and must be
treated in a fair and equal manner, on the same footing and with the same emphasis, and
recalling also that the promotion and protection of one category of rights should never
exempt States from the promotion and protection of the other rights,
Recalling also the United Nations Millennium Declaration, in which the heads of
State and Government affirmed their commitment to spare no effort to promote democracy
and strengthen the rule of law and respect for all internationally recognized human rights
and fundamental freedoms, including the right to development,
Recalling further its resolutions on the question of the realization in all countries of
economic, social and cultural rights, and the resolutions adopted by the Commission on
Human Rights on the same topic,
Reaffirming the obligations and commitments to take steps, individually and through
international assistance and cooperation, especially economic and technical, to the
maximum of available resources with a view to achieving progressively the full realization
of economic, social and cultural rights by all appropriate means, including particularly the
adoption of legislative measures,
Underlining the human rights principles of, inter alia, non-discrimination, human
dignity, equity, equality, universality and participation, as affirmed in international human
rights law and in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, and emphasizing that
the rights enunciated in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights are to be realized in a non-discriminatory manner,
GE.16-06416(E)
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