RES/29/1 Fiftieth anniversary of the adoption and fortieth anniversary of the entry into force of the International Covenants on Human Rights

Human Rights Council Twenty-ninth session

Agenda item 3

Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on 2 July 2015

29/1. Fiftieth anniversary of the adoption and fortieth

anniversary of the entry into force of the International

Covenants on Human Rights

The Human Rights Council,

Guided by the purposes, principles and provisions of the Charter of the United

Nations,

Mindful that the International Covenants on Human Rights constitute the first all-

embracing and legally binding international treaties in the field of human rights and,

together with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, form the core of the International

Bill of Human Rights,

Recalling that 2016 will mark the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International

Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by the General Assembly in its resolution 2200

(XXI) on 16 December 1966, and acknowledging the fundamental importance and special

status of these basic human rights instruments of the United Nations,

Recalling also that 2016 will also mark the fortieth anniversary of the entry into

force of the International Covenants on Human Rights,

Considering that the anniversary of the adoption of the International Covenants on

Human Rights provides an opportunity for the United Nations and its Member States to

intensify their efforts to promote awareness and strengthened observance of the rights set

out in the Covenants and other international instruments in the field of human rights,

Reaffirming the importance of the observance and effective implementation of the

universally recognized standards in the field of human rights as contained in the Covenants,

Recalling that all human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent and

interrelated, that the international community must treat human rights globally in a fair and

equal manner, on the same footing and with the same emphasis, and that while the

significance of national and regional particularities and various historical, cultural and

religious backgrounds must be borne in mind, it is the duty of States, regardless of their

political, economic and cultural systems, to promote and protect all human rights and

fundamental freedoms,

Reaffirming that the promotion and protection of one category of rights should never

exempt or excuse States from the promotion and protection of the other rights, in

conformity with the purposes and principles of the Charter and with international law,

1. Reaffirms the importance of the International Covenants on Human Rights as

major components of international efforts to promote universal respect for and observance

of human rights and fundamental freedoms;

2. Calls upon all States that have not yet done so to consider becoming parties

to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International

Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and requests the Secretary-General to continue to

support the annual treaty event to this end;

3. Encourages States parties to consider limiting the extent of any reservations

that they lodge to the International Covenants on Human Rights and the Optional Protocols

thereto, to formulate any reservations as precisely and narrowly as possible and to review

regularly such reservations with a view to withdrawing them so as to ensure that no

reservation is incompatible with the object and purpose of the relevant treaty;

4. Calls for the strictest compliance by States parties with their obligations

under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and, where applicable, the Optional

Protocols thereto;

5. Invites the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to make

provisions for events and arrangements aimed at the celebration of the anniversary of the

International Covenants on Human Rights and to circulate the relevant information among

States and other stakeholders;

6. Invites relevant United Nations organs and agencies, in coordination with the

High Commissioner, to celebrate the anniversary of the International Covenants on Human

Rights by intensifying their own contributions to United Nations system-wide efforts to

promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms;

7. Decides to convene at its thirty-first session a high-level panel discussion on

the topic, “The fiftieth anniversary of the International Covenants on Human Rights:

universality, indivisibility, interdependence and interrelatedness of all human rights”, in

order to give the fiftieth anniversary of the International Covenants on Human Rights

attention commensurate with its historical significance;

8. Recommends that the General Assembly mark the fiftieth anniversary of the

International Covenants on Human Rights during its seventy-first session.

42nd meeting

2 July 2015

[Adopted without a vote.]