Fourth session (1990)*
General comment No. 2: International technical assistance measures
(art. 22 of the Covenant)
1.
Article 22 of the Covenant establishes a mechanism by which the Economic and
Social Council may bring to the attention of relevant United Nations bodies any matters
arising out of reports submitted under the Covenant “which may assist such bodies in
deciding, each within its field of competence, on the advisability of international measures
likely to contribute to the effective progressive implementation of the ... Covenant”. While
the primary responsibility under article 22 is vested in the Council, it is clearly appropriate
for the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to play an active role in advising
and assisting the Council in this regard.
2.
Recommendations in accordance with article 22 may be made to any “organs of the
United Nations, their subsidiary organs and specialized agencies concerned with furnishing
technical assistance”. The Committee considers that this provision should be interpreted so as
to include virtually all United Nations organs and agencies involved in any aspect of
international development cooperation. It would therefore be appropriate for
recommendations in accordance with article 22 to be addressed, inter alia, to the
Secretary-General, subsidiary organs of the Council such as the Commission on Human
Rights, the Commission on Social Development and the Commission on the Status of
Women, other bodies such as UNDP, UNICEF and CDP, agencies such as the World Bank
and IMF, and any of the other specialized agencies such as ILO, FAO, UNESCO and WHO.
3.
Article 22 could lead either to recommendations of a general policy nature or to more
narrowly focused recommendations relating to a specific situation. In the former context, the
principal role of the Committee would seem to be to encourage greater attention to efforts to
promote economic, social and cultural rights within the framework of international
development cooperation activities undertaken by, or with the assistance of, the
United Nations and its agencies. In this regard the Committee notes that the Commission on
Human Rights, in its resolution 1989/13 of 2 March 1989, invited it “to give consideration to
means by which the various United Nations agencies working in the field of development
could best integrate measures designed to promote full respect for economic, social and
cultural rights in their activities”.
4.
As a preliminary practical matter, the Committee notes that its own endeavours would
be assisted, and the relevant agencies would also be better informed, if they were to take a
greater interest in the work of the Committee. While recognizing that such an interest can be
demonstrated in a variety of ways, the Committee observes that attendance by representatives
of the appropriate United Nations bodies at its first four sessions has, with the notable
exceptions of ILO, UNESCO and WHO, been very low. Similarly, pertinent materials and
written information had been received from only a very limited number of agencies. The
Committee considers that a deeper understanding of the relevance of economic, social and
cultural rights in the context of international development cooperation activities would be
considerably facilitated through greater interaction between the Committee and the
appropriate agencies. At the very least, the day of general discussion on a specific issue,
which the Committee undertakes at each of its sessions, provides an ideal context in which a
potentially productive exchange of views can be undertaken.
*
Contained in document E/1990/23.