CONTENTS

Paragraphs Page

Abbreviations ................................................................................................................... 9

Chapter

I. ORGANIZATIONAL AND OTHER MATTERS ................................. 1 - 25 10

A. States parties to the Covenant ........................................................... 1 10

B. Sessions and agenda ............................................................. 2 - 6 10

C. Membership and attendance ............................................................ 7 - 10 11

D. Pre-sessional working group ......................................................... 11 - 13 13

E. Election of officers ............................................................................ 14 14

F. Organization of work .................................................................... 15 - 20 14

G. Next sessions .................................................................................... 21 16

H. States parties' reports scheduled for consideration

by the Committee at its upcoming sessions ..................................... 22 - 25 16

II. OVERVIEW OF THE PRESENT WORKING METHODS

OF THE COMMITTEE ...................................................................... 26 - 58 18

A. General guidelines for reporting ......................................................... 28 18

B. Examination of States parties' reports ............................................ 29 - 40 18

1. Work of the pre-sessional working group ............................... 29 - 35 18

2. Consideration of the report ..................................................... 36 - 39 20

3. Deferrals of the consideration of reports ..................................... 40 21

C. Follow-up procedure in relation to the consideration

of reports ...................................................................................... 41 - 44 21

GE.02-40953 (E)

CONTENTS (continued)

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Chapter

II. D. Procedure in response to non-submitted and

(cont'd) considerably overdue reports ........................................................ 45 - 47 22

E. Day of general discussion .................................................................. 48 23

F. Other consultations ....................................................................... 49 - 51 23

G. Participation of non‑governmental organizations in the

activities of the Committee ............................................................. 52 - 53 24

H. General comments ........................................................................ 54 - 57 24

I. Statements adopted by the Committee ............................................... 58 25

III. SUBMISSION OF REPORTS BY STATES PARTIES

UNDER ARTICLES 16 AND 17 OF THE COVENANT .................. 59 - 62 26

IV. CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS SUBMITTED BY

STATES PARTIES UNDER ARTICLES 16 AND 17

OF THE COVENANT ....................................................................... 63 - 957 27

Twenty-fifth session

Venezuela ..................................................................................... 74 - 107 29

Honduras .................................................................................... 108 - 162 33

China: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region ....................... 163 - 210 39

Republic of Korea ...................................................................... 211 - 255 45

Bolivia ........................................................................................ 256 - 303 52

Togo (without a report) ............................................................... 304 - 326 57

CONTENTS (continued)

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Chapter

IV. Twenty-sixth session

(cont'd)

Senegal ....................................................................................... 327 - 390 61

Syrian Arab Republic .................................................................. 391 - 438 67

Panama ...................................................................................... 439 - 481 73

Ukraine ...................................................................................... 482 - 516 78

Nepal ......................................................................................... 517 - 579 83

Japan .......................................................................................... 580 - 642 90

Germany ..................................................................................... 643 - 691 97

Israel .......................................................................................... 692 - 707 103

Twenty-seventh session

Sweden ...................................................................................... 708 - 749 106

Colombia .................................................................................... 750 - 803 110

Algeria ........................................................................................ 804 - 849 116

France ........................................................................................ 850 - 883 121

Croatia ....................................................................................... 884 - 923 125

Jamaica ...................................................................................... 924 - 957 130

V. DAY OF GENERAL DISCUSSION

International consultation on economic, social and cultural

rights in development activities of international institutions

organized in cooperation with the High Council for

International Cooperation (France) ..................................................... 958 - 1015 136

CONTENTS (continued)

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Chapter

VI. DECISIONS ADOPTED AND MATTERS

DISCUSSED BY THE COMMITTEE AT ITS

TWENTY-FIFTH, TWENTY-SIXTH AND

TWENTY-SEVENTH SESSIONS ................................................. 1016 - 1087 152

A. Follow-up to Economic and Social Council

decision 1999/287 .................................................................... 1017 - 1022 152

B. Revised methods of work .......................................................... 1023 - 1058 153

C. Other issues dealt with by the Committee in 2001 ...................... 1059 - 1087 160

VII. ADOPTION OF THE REPORT ........................................................... 1088 168

Annexes

I. States parties to the Covenant and status of submission of reports .............................. 169

II. Members of the Committee on Economic, Social and

Cultural Rights ........................................................................................................... 184

III. A. Agenda of the twenty-fifth session of the Committee on Economic,

Social and Cultural Rights (23 April-11 May 2001) ............................................ 185

B. Agenda of the twenty-sixth session of the Committee on Economic,

Social and Cultural Rights (13-31 August 2001) ................................................. 185

C. Agenda of the twenty-seventh session of the Committee on Economic,

Social and Cultural Rights (12-30 November 2001) ............................................ 186

IV. Letter dated 11 May 2001 from the Chairperson of the Committee on

Economic, Social and Cultural Rights addressed to the Permanent

Representative of Israel to the United Nations at Geneva ............................................ 188

V. Letter dated 11 May 2001 from the Chairperson of the Committee on

Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to the President of the

Economic and Social Council .................................................................................... 191

CONTENTS (continued)

Page

Annexes (continued)

VI. Statement by the Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations

Office at Geneva addressed to the Committee on Economic, Social and

Cultural Rights ........................................................................................................... 193

VII. Poverty and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and

Cultural Rights: Statement of the Committee on Economic, Social

Cultural Rights to the Third United Nations Conference on the

Least Developed Countries ....................................................................................... 197

VIII. Letter dated 28 March 2001 addressed by the Chairperson of the

Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to the Chairperson

of the Intergovernmental Preparatory Committee for the Third

United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries,

Mr. Jacques Scavée .................................................................................................. 203

IX. A. Letter dated 5 July 2001 from the Chairperson of the Committee on

Economic, Social and Cultural Rights addressed to the United Nations

High Commissioner for Human Rights ................................................................. 205

B. Letter dated 25 July 2001 from the United Nations High

Commissioner for Human Rights addressed to the Chairperson

of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights .................................. 207

X. Letter dated 8 November 2001 from the Assistant Director-General

for Education, UNESCO, addressed to the Chairperson of the

Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, regarding the

UNESCO Executive Board's decision ....................................................................... 208

XI. Statement of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

to the special session of the General Assembly for an overall review

and appraisal of the implementation of the decisions taken at the

United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II)

(New York, 6 to 8 June 2001) .................................................................................. 209

XII. Statement of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

to the International Consultative Conference on School Education

in Relation to Freedom of Religion and Belief, Tolerance and

Non-discrimination .................................................................................................... 211

CONTENTS (continued)

Page

Annexes (continued)

XIII. Statement by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

on human rights and intellectual property .................................................................... 214

XIV. List of general comments adopted by the Committee on Economic,

Social and Cultural Rights .......................................................................................... 220

XV. List of statements adopted by the Committee on Economic,

Social and Cultural Rights .......................................................................................... 222

XVI. Days of general discussion held by the Committee on Economic,

Social and Cultural Rights .......................................................................................... 224

XVII. International consultation on economic, social and cultural rights

in development activities of international institutions: Report of the

High Council for International Cooperation (France) following the

international consultation on economic, social and cultural rights in

development activities of international institutions ........................................................ 225

XVIII. A. List of States parties' delegations which participated in the

consideration of their respective reports by the Committee on

Economic, Social and Cultural Rights at its twenty-fifth session ............................ 229

B. List of States parties' delegations which participated in the

consideration of their respective reports by the Committee on

Economic, Social and Cultural Rights at its twenty-sixth session ........................... 234

C. List of States parties' delegations which participated in the

consideration of their respective reports by the Committee

on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights at its

twenty-seventh session ....................................................................................... 239

XIX. A. List of documents of the Committee at its twenty-fifth session .............................. 245

B. List of documents of the Committee at its twenty-sixth session ............................. 247

C. List of documents of the Committee at its twenty-seventh session ........................ 250

ABBREVIATIONS

AIDS Acquired immune deficiency syndrome

FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

GDP Gross domestic product

GNP Gross national product

HCCI Haut conseil de la coopération internationale (High Council for International Cooperation, France)

HIV Human immunodeficiency virus

ILO International Labour Organization

IMF International Monetary Fund

OECD Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

UNAIDS Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS

UNCTAD United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

UNDP United Nations Development Programme

UNEP United Nations Environment Programme

UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

UNFPA United Nations Population Fund

UNHCR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund

WHO World Health Organization

WIPO World Intellectual Property Organization

World Bank International Bank for Reconstruction and Development

WTO World Trade Organization

Chapter I

Organizational and other matters

A. States parties to the Covenant

1. As at 30 November 2001, the closing date of the twenty-seventh session of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 145 States had ratified or acceded to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which was adopted by the General Assembly in resolution 2200 A (XXI) of 16 December 1966 and opened for signature and ratification in New York on 19 December 1966. The Covenant entered into force on 3 January 1976 in accordance with the provisions of its article 27. A list of States parties to the Covenant and the status of submission of their reports is contained in annex I to the present report.

B. Sessions and agenda

2. The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, at its twelfth session, requested the Economic and Social Council to authorize the holding of two annual sessions of the Committee, in May and November-December, each of three weeks' duration, in addition to a pre‑sessional working group of five members to meet for five days immediately after each session to prepare the list of issues for consideration at the subsequent session. The Council, by its resolution 1995/39 of 25 July 1995, endorsed the Committee's recommendation.

3. At its twentieth session, held in Geneva from 26 April to 14 May 1999, the Committee, in response to Economic and Social Council decision 1998/293, reconsidered its requests from the sixteenth session in 1996 (extraordinary additional session, holding of the nineteenth session of the Committee in New York, payment of honoraria to members of the Committee, extraordinary session of the pre-sessional working group). After careful discussion, the Committee resolved to proceed further with only one request, to which it accords highest priority, namely the Committee decided to invite the Council to approve an additional regular session to be held in New York.

4. The Economic and Social Council, having considered at its substantive session of 1999 the recommendation made by the Committee, adopted on 30 July 1999 decision 1999/287, consequently approved by General Assembly resolution 54/251 (Part IV) of 23 December 1999,

concerning additional extraordinary sessions of the Committee. By this decision, the Council, concerned that existing meeting arrangements for the Committee no longer permitted it to fully discharge its responsibilities under the Covenant and Council resolution 1985/17 in an efficient and timely manner, approved the holding of two additional three-week extraordinary sessions of the Committee, as well as corresponding pre-sessional meetings of the working group of one week's duration during 2000 and 2001, respectively. The Council also requested that those sessions be entirely used for the consideration of reports of the States parties in order to reduce

the backlog of reports, and requested the Committee to consider ways and means to improve the efficiency of its working methods and to report to the Council in 2001 on the actions taken in this regard.

5. Accordingly, in 2001, the Committee held its twenty-fifth session from 23 April to 11 May, its twenty-sixth (extraordinary) session from 13 to 31 August and its twenty‑seventh session from 12 to 30 November. All sessions were held at the United Nations Office at Geneva. The agenda for each session is shown in annex III to the present report.

6. An account of the Committee's deliberations at its twenty-fifth, twenty-sixth and twenty‑seventh sessions is contained in the relevant summary records (E/C.12/2001/SR.1‑29/Add.1, E/C.12/2001/SR.30‑58/Add.1 and E/C.12/2001/SR.59-87 respectively).

C. Membership and attendance

7. All members of the Committee attended the twenty‑fifth session. (For a list of members of the Committee, see annex II below.) Mr. Kenneth Osborne Rattray and Mr. Javier Wimer Zambrano attended only part of this session. All members of the Committee attended the twenty-sixth session. Ms. Virginia Bonoan-Dandan, Mr. Jaime Marchán Romero and Mr. Kenneth Osborne Rattray attended only part of this session. All members of the Committee, except Mr. Kenneth Osborne Rattray and Mr. Nutan Thapalia, attended the twenty‑seventh session. Mr. Jaime Marchán Romero, Mr. Ariranga Govindasamy Pillay and Mr. Philippe Texier attended only part of this session.

8. The following specialized agencies and United Nations organs were represented by observers at the twenty-fifth session: FAO, ILO, IMF, UNAIDS, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNEP, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNICEF, WHO, WIPO, World Bank and WTO; at the twenty‑sixth session: ILO, UNESCO, UNHCR; and at the twenty-seventh session: ILO, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNHCR, WHO, WIPO, World Bank and WTO.

9. The following non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council were represented by observers at the twenty-fifth session:

Special consultative status: American Association of Jurists, Center for Economic and Social Rights, Habitat International Coalition, Inclusion International, International Commission of Jurists, International Federation of Human Rights Leagues, International League for the Rights and Liberation of Peoples, International Organization for the Development of Freedom of Education, Oxfam GB, Rights and Democracy, World Organization Against Torture;

Roster: American Association for the Advancement of Science, FIAN - Foodfirst Information and Action Network.

At the twenty-sixth session:

Special consultative status: Center for Reproductive Law and Policy, Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions, Habitat International Coalition, Inclusion International, International Association of Democratic Lawyers, International Commission of Jurists, International Federation of Human Rights Leagues, International Federation Terre des Hommes, International Organization for the Development of Freedom of Education, International Service for Human Rights, International Women's Rights Action Watch, Japan Federation of Bar Associations, Rural Reconstruction Nepal, Shimin Gaikou Centre, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, World Organization Against Torture;

Roster: American Association for the Advancement of Science, Congress of Racial Equality, FIAN - Foodfirst Information and Action Network, Lila Pilipina.

At the twenty-seventh session:

General consultative status: International Confederation of Free Trade Unions;

Special consultative status: Center for Economic and Social Rights, Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions, Colombian Commission of Jurists, Habitat International Coalition, International Commission of Jurists, International Federation of Human Rights Leagues, International Federation of University Women, International Organization for the Development of Freedom of Education, World Organization Against Torture;

Roster: American Association for the Advancement of Science, FIAN - Foodfirst Information and Action Network.

10. The following national and international non-governmental organizations were represented by observers at the twenty-fifth, twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh sessions: Adalah, the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, Association of Interdisciplinary Work (Colombia), Association of Korean Human Rights in Japan (Japan), Association to Protect Utoro (Japan), Buraku Liberation and Human Rights Research Institute (Japan), Centre for Legal and Social Studies (Argentina), Comissão Pastoral da Terra (Brazil), Congrès mondial amazigh (France), Contextos Latinoamericanos para la Promoción de los Derechos Económicos, Sociales y Culturales (Switzerland), Corporación Región (Colombia), Department of Political Science, University of Hawaii (United States of America), Federación Nacional de Mujeres Campesinas de Bolivia "Bartolina Sisa", Forum for the Improvement of the Living Conditions of Old People in Need of Nursing Care in Germany, Grupo de Apoyo Pedagógico (Colombia), Hong Kong Human Rights Commission, Hyogo International Human Rights Research Group (Japan), Institut interdisciplinaire d'éthique et des droits de 1'homme, University of Fribourg (Switzerland), International Anti-Poverty Law Center (United States of America), International Network for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (United States of America), International Women's Rights Action Watch (United States of America), Japanese Workers' Committee for Human Rights (Japan), Latin American and Caribbean Committee for the Defence of Women's Rights, Lawyers' Group for Philippine Victims (Comfort Women) (Japan), Lawyers' Group for Post-War Compensation for Koreans Living in Japan Who Are Japanese Military Veterans or Allied Civilian Personnel (Japan), Mouvement pour l'autonomie de la Kabylie (Algeria), National Movement for Health and Social Security in Colombia, National Women's Network (Colombia), Non-governmental Organizations Committee for Reporting on the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Japan), Plataforma Colombiana de Derechos Humanos, Democracia y Desarrollo (Colombia), "Pour que vivent nos langues" (France), Rencontre africaine pour la défense des droits de l'homme (Senegal), Rights and Humanity, Swedish NGO Foundation for Human Rights (Sweden), Venezuelan Programme for Education-Action in Human Rights, Women and Land Lobby Group (Zimbabwe), Working Women International Network (Japan).

D. Pre-sessional working group

11. The Economic and Social Council, in its resolution 1988/4 of 24 May 1988, authorized the establishment of a pre-sessional working group composed of five members to be appointed by the Chairperson to meet for up to one week prior to each session. By decision 1990/252 of 25 May 1990, the Council authorized the meetings of the working group to be held one to three months prior to a session of the Committee.

12. The Chairperson of the Committee, in consultation with the members of the Bureau, designated the following individuals as members of the pre-sessional working group to meet:

Prior to the twenty-sixth session:

Mr. Clément ATANGANA

Ms. Virginia BONOAN-DANDAN

Mr. Valeri KOUZNETSOV

Mr. Waleed M. SADI

Mr. Javier WIMER ZAMBRANO

Prior to the twenty‑seventh session:

Ms. Rocío BARAHONA-RIERA

Mr. Dumitru CEAUSU

Mr. Abdessatar GRISSA

Mr. Philippe TEXIER

Mr. Nutan THAPALIA

Prior to the twenty‑eighth session:

Mr. Mahmoud Samir AHMED

Mr. Valeri KOUZNETSOV

Mr. Giorgio MALINVERNI

Mr. Jaime MARCHÁN ROMERO

Mr. Waleed M. SADI

Prior to the twenty‑ninth session:

Ms. Virginia BONOAN-DANDAN

Mr. Dumitru CEAUSU

Mr. Abdessatar GRISSA

Mr. Kenneth Osborne RATTRAY

Mr. Eibe RIEDEL

13. The pre‑sessional working group held its meetings at the United Nations Office at Geneva from 14 to 18 May 2001, from 3 to 5 September 2001, from 3 to 7 December 2001 respectively. All members of the working group attended its meetings. The working group identified issues that might most usefully be discussed with the representatives of the reporting States and lists of such questions were transmitted to the permanent missions of the States concerned.

E. Election of officers

14. In accordance with rule 14 of its rules of procedure, the Committee, at the 1st meeting of its twenty‑fifth session, elected the members of its Bureau, as follows:

Chairperson: Ms. Virginia BONOAN‑DANDAN

Vice‑Chairpersons: Mr. Clément ATANGANA

Mr. Dumitru CEAUSU

Mr. Eibe RIEDEL

Rapporteur: Mr. Paul HUNT

F. Organization of work

Twenty‑fifth session

15. The Committee considered its organization of work at its 1st meeting on 23 April 2001. In connection with this item, the Committee had before it the following documents:

(a) Draft programme of work for the twenty‑fifth session, prepared by the Secretary‑General in consultation with the Chairperson of the Committee (E/C.12/2001/L.1/Rev.1);

(b) Reports of the Committee on the work of its previous sessions:* first (E/1987/28‑E/C.12/1987/5), second (E/1988/14‑E/C.12/1988/4), third (E/1989/22‑E/C.12/1989/5), fourth (E/1990/23‑E/C.12/1990/3 and Corr.1), fifth (E/1991/23‑E/C.12/1990/8 and Corr.1), sixth (E/1992/23‑E/C.12/1991/4 and Add.1), seventh (E/1993/22‑E/C.12/1992/2), eighth and ninth (E/1994/23‑E/C.12/1993/19), tenth and eleventh (E/1995/22‑E/C.12/1994/20 and Corr.1), twelfth and thirteenth (E/1996/22‑E/C.12/1995/18), fourteenth and fifteenth (E/1997/22‑E/C.12/1996/6), sixteenth and seventeenth (E/1998/22‑E/C.12/1997/10), eighteenth and nineteenth (E/1999/22‑E/C.12/1998/26), twentieth and twenty‑first (E/2000/22‑E/C.12/1999/11 and Corr.1) and twenty‑second, twenty‑third and twenty‑fourth sessions (E/2001/22‑E/C.12/2000/21).

16. In accordance with rule 8 of its rules of procedure, the Committee, at its 1st meeting, considered the draft programme of work for its twenty‑fifth session and approved it, as amended during consideration.

Twenty‑sixth session

17. The Committee considered its organization of work at its 30th meeting on 13 August 2001. In connection with this item, the Committee had before it the following documents:

(a) Draft programme of work for the twenty‑sixth session, prepared by the Secretary‑General in consultation with the Chairperson of the Committee (E/C.12/2001/L.2/Rev.1);

(b) Reports of the Committee on the work of its previous sessions (see para. 15 (b) above).

18. In accordance with rule 8 of its rules of procedure, the Committee, at its 30th meeting, considered the draft programme of work for its twenty‑sixth session and approved it, as amended during consideration.

Twenty‑seventh session

19. The Committee considered its organization of work at its 59th meeting on 12 November 2001. In connection with this item, the Committee had before it the following documents:

(a) Draft programme of work for the twenty‑seventh session, prepared by the Secretary‑General in consultation with the Chairperson of the Committee (E/C.12/2001/L.3/Rev.1);

(b) Reports of the Committee on the work of its previous sessions (see para. 14 (b) above).

20. In accordance with rule 8 of its rules of procedure, the Committee, at its 59th meeting, considered the draft programme of work for its twenty‑seventh session and approved it, as amended during consideration.

G. Next sessions

21. In accordance with the established schedule, the twenty‑eighth session and twenty‑ninth session would take place from 29 April to 17 May and from 11 to 29 November 2002, respectively.

H. States parties' reports scheduled for consideration

by the Committee at its upcoming sessions

22. The Committee, at its 29th meeting on 11 May 2001, decided that the following States parties' reports would be considered at its twenty‑seventh session:

Initial reports

Croatia E/1990/5/Add.46

Second periodic reports

Algeria E/1990/6/Add.26

France E/1990/6/Add.27

Jamaica E/1990/6/Add.28

Fourth periodic reports

Sweden E/C.12/4/Add.4

Colombia E/C.12/4/Add.6

23. The Committee, at its 59th meeting on 12 November 2001, decided to consider the reports of the following States parties at its twenty‑eighth session:

Initial reports

Czech Republic E/1990/5/Add.47

Benin E/1990/5/Add.48

Second periodic reports

Ireland E/1990/6/Add.29

Trinidad and Tobago E/1990/6/Add.30

Fourth periodic reports

United Kingdom of

Great Britain and

Northern Ireland E/C.12/4/Add.5, E/C.12/4/Add.7, E/C.12/4/Add.8

24. The Committee, at its 87th meeting, on 30 November 2001, decided to consider the reports of the following States parties at its twenty-ninth session:

Initial reports

Slovakia E/1990/5/Add.49

Solomon Islands E/1990/5/Add.50

Estonia E/1990/5/Add.51

Second periodic reports

Georgia E/1990/6/Add.31

Fourth periodic reports

Poland E/C.12/4/Add.9

25. The Committee also decided that it would review, at its twenty-ninth session, the implementation of the provisions of the Covenant in Greece, which had not submitted any report at all since its ratification of the Covenant in 1985, on the basis of any information that might be available to the Committee.

Chapter II

Overview of the present working methods of the Committee

26. This chapter of the Committee's report aims at providing a concise and up‑to‑date overview and explanation of the ways in which the Committee carries out its various functions. It is designed to make the Committee's current practice more transparent and readily accessible so as to assist States parties and others interested in the implementation of the Covenant (see chap. VI below, sect. A and B).

27. Since its first session, in 1987, the Committee has made a concerted effort to devise appropriate working methods which adequately reflect the nature of the tasks with which it has been entrusted. In the course of its 27 sessions it has sought to modify and develop these methods in the light of its experience. These methods will continue to evolve.

A. General guidelines for reporting

28. The Committee attaches major importance to the need to structure the reporting process and the dialogue with each State party's representatives in such a way as to ensure that the issues of principal concern to it are dealt with in a methodical and informative manner. For this purpose, the Committee has adopted detailed reporting guidelines with a view to assisting States in the reporting process and improving the effectiveness of the monitoring system as a whole. The Committee strongly urges all States parties to report to it in accordance with the guidelines to the greatest extent possible. The Committee keeps its guidelines under review and they are updated when appropriate.

B. Examination of States parties' reports

1. Work of the pre‑sessional working group

29. A pre‑sessional working group meets, for five days, prior to each of the Committee's sessions. It is composed of five members of the Committee nominated by the Chairperson, taking account of the desirability of a balanced geographical distribution and other relevant factors.

30. The principal purpose of the working group is to identify in advance the questions which will constitute the principal focus of the dialogue with the representatives of the reporting States. The aim is to improve the efficiency of the system and to ease the task of States' representatives by facilitating more focused preparations for the discussion.

31. It is generally accepted that the complex nature and diverse range of many of the issues raised in connection with the implementation of the Covenant constitute a strong argument in favour of providing States parties with the possibility of preparing in advance to answer some of the principal questions arising out of their reports. Such an arrangement also enhances the likelihood that the State party will be able to provide precise and detailed information.

32. With regard to its own working methods, the working group, in the interests of efficiency, allocates to each of its members initial responsibility for undertaking a detailed review of a specific number of reports and for putting before the working group a preliminary list of issues. The decision as to how the reports should be allocated for this purpose is based in part on the areas of expertise of the member concerned. Each draft by a country rapporteur is then revised and supplemented on the basis of observations by the other members of the working group and the final version of the list is adopted by the working group as a whole. This procedure applies equally to both initial and periodic reports.

33. In preparation for the pre‑sessional working group, the Committee has asked the secretariat to place at the disposal of its members a country profile as well as all pertinent documents containing information relevant to each of the reports to be examined. For this purpose, the Committee invites all concerned individuals, bodies and non‑governmental organizations to submit relevant and appropriate documentation to the secretariat. It has also asked the secretariat to ensure that certain types of information are regularly placed in the country files.

34. The lists of issues drawn up by the working group are given directly to a representative of the States concerned, along with a copy of the Committee's most recent report and with a note stating the following:

The list is not intended to be exhaustive and it should not be interpreted as limiting or in any other way prejudging the type and range of questions which members of the Committee might wish to ask. However, the Committee believes that the constructive dialogue which it wishes to have with the representatives of the State party is greatly facilitated by making the list available in advance of the Committee's session. In order to improve the dialogue that the Committee seeks, it strongly urges each State party to provide in writing its replies to the list of issues and to do so sufficiently in advance of the session at which its report will be considered to enable the replies to be translated and made available to all members of the Committee.

35. In addition to the task of formulating the lists of issues, the pre‑sessional working group is also entrusted with a variety of other tasks designed to facilitate the work of the Committee as a whole. These have included: discussing the most appropriate allocation of time for the consideration of each State report; considering the issue of how best to respond to supplementary reports containing additional information; examining draft general comments; considering how best to structure the day of general discussion; and other relevant matters.

2. Consideration of the report

36. In accordance with the established practice of each of the United Nations human rights treaty monitoring bodies, representatives of the reporting States are entitled to be present, and indeed their presence and participation are necessary at the meetings of the Committee when their reports are examined in order to ensure a constructive dialogue with the Committee. The following procedure is generally used: the representative of the State party is invited to introduce the report by making brief introductory comments and introducing any written replies to the list of issues drawn up by the pre‑sessional working group. The Committee then considers the report by clusters of articles (usually 1-5, 6-9, 10-12, 13-15), taking particular account of the replies furnished in response to the list of issues. The Chairperson will normally invite questions or comments from Committee members in relation to each issue and then invite the representatives of the State party to reply immediately to questions that do not require further reflection or research. Other questions remaining to be answered are taken up at a subsequent meeting or, if necessary, may be the subject of additional information provided to the Committee in writing. Members of the Committee are free to pursue specific issues in the light of the replies thus provided, although the Committee has urged them not to (a) raise issues outside the scope of the Covenant; (b) repeat questions already posed or answered; (c) add unduly to an already long list on a particular issue; or (d) speak more than five minutes in any one intervention. Representatives of relevant specialized agencies and other international bodies may also be invited to contribute at any stage of the dialogue.

37. The final phase of the Committee's examination of the report consists of the drafting and adoption of its concluding observations. For this purpose, the Committee usually sets aside a brief period in closed session, the day after the conclusion of the dialogue, to enable its members to express their preliminary views. The country rapporteur then prepares, with the assistance of the secretariat, a draft set of concluding observations for consideration by the Committee. The agreed structure of the concluding observations is as follows: introduction; positive aspects; factors and difficulties impeding the implementation of the Covenant; principal subjects of concern; and suggestions and recommendations. At a later stage, the Committee then discusses the draft, again in private session, with a view to adopting it by consensus.

38. The concluding observations once formally adopted are usually not made public until the final day of the session. As soon as they are made public ‑ at 6 p.m. of the closing day of the session ‑ they are available to all interested parties. They are forwarded as soon as possible to the State party concerned and included in the Committee's report. If it so wishes, the State party may address any of the Committee's concluding observations in the context of any additional information which it provides to the Committee.

39. In general, the Committee devotes three meetings (of three hours each) to its public examination of initial report and two meetings to examination of periodic reports. In addition, it generally devotes between two and three hours towards the end of the session, in private, to its discussion of each set of concluding observations.

3. Deferrals of the consideration of reports

40. Last‑minute requests by States to defer the consideration of a report which has been scheduled for examination at a particular session are extremely disruptive for all concerned and have caused major problems for the Committee in the past. Accordingly, the Committee's long‑standing policy is not to grant such requests and to proceed with its consideration of all scheduled reports, even in the absence of a representative of the State party concerned.

C. Follow-up procedure in relation to the consideration of reports

41. At its twenty‑first session, the Committee decided that:

(a) In all concluding observations, the Committee will request the State party to inform the Committee, in its next periodic report, about steps taken to implement the recommendations in the concluding observations;

(b) Where appropriate, the Committee may, in its concluding observations, make a specific request to a State party to provide more information or statistical data at a time prior to the date that the next periodic report is due to be submitted;

(c) Where appropriate, the Committee may, in its concluding observations, ask the State party to respond to any pressing specific issue identified in the concluding observations prior to the date that the next report is due to be submitted;

(d) Any information provided in accordance with (b) and (c) above will be considered by the next meeting of the Committee's pre-sessional working group;

(e) In general, the working group could recommend one or another of the following responses to the Committee:

That it take note of such information;

That it adopt specific additional concluding observations in response to that information;

That the matter be pursued through a request for further information; or

That the Committee's Chairperson be authorized to inform the State party, in advance of the next session, that the Committee will take up the issue at its next session and that, for that purpose, the participation of a representative of the State party in the work of the Committee would be welcome;

(f) If the information requested in accordance with (b) and (c) is not provided by the specified date, or is patently unsatisfactory, the Chairperson, in consultation with the members of the Bureau, could be authorized to follow up the matter with the State party.

42. In situations in which the Committee considers that it is unable to obtain the information it requires on the basis of the above-mentioned procedures, it may decide to adopt a different approach instead. In particular, the Committee may request that the State party concerned accept a mission consisting of one or two members of the Committee. Such a decision would be taken only after the Committee had satisfied itself that there was no adequate alternative approach available to it and that the information in its possession warranted such an approach. The purposes of such an on-site visit would be: (a) to collect the information necessary for the Committee to continue its constructive dialogue with the State party and to enable it to carry out its functions in relation to the Covenant; (b) to provide a more comprehensive basis upon which the Committee might exercise its functions in relation to articles 22 and 23 of the Covenant concerning technical assistance and advisory services. The Committee would state specifically the issue(s) with respect to which its representative(s) would seek to gather information from all available sources. The representative(s) would also have the task of considering whether the programme of advisory services administered by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights could be of assistance in connection with the specific issue at hand.

43. At the conclusion of the visit, the representative(s) would report to the Committee. In the light of the report presented by its representative(s), the Committee would then formulate its own conclusions. Those conclusions would relate to the full range of functions carried out by the Committee, including those relating to technical assistance and advisory services.

44. This procedure has already been applied in relation to two States parties and the Committee considers the experience to have been a very positive one in both instances. In a case where the State party concerned did not accept the proposed mission, the Committee would consider making whatever recommendations might be appropriate to the Economic and Social Council.

D. Procedure in response to non-submitted

and considerably overdue reports

45. The Committee believes that a situation of persistent non-reporting by States parties risks bringing the entire supervisory procedure into disrepute, thereby undermining one of the foundations of the Covenant.

46. Accordingly, the Committee resolved at its sixth session to begin in due course to consider the situation concerning the implementation of the Covenant in respect of each State party whose reports are very significantly overdue. At its seventh session it resolved to begin scheduling consideration of such reports at its future sessions and to notify the States parties concerned. It began to apply this procedure at its ninth session.

47. The Committee has adopted the following procedure:

(a) To select States parties whose reports are very much overdue on the basis of the length of time involved;

(b) To notify each such State party that the Committee intends to consider the situation with respect to that country at a specified future session;

(c) To move, in the absence of any report, to consider the status of economic, social and cultural rights in the light of all available information;

(d) To authorize its Chairperson, in situations where the State party concerned indicates that a report will be provided to the Committee and upon a request from the State party, to defer consideration of the situation for one session.

E. Day of general discussion

48. At each session, the Committee devotes one day, usually the Monday of the third week, to a general discussion of a particular right or of a particular aspect of the Covenant. The purpose is twofold: the day assists the Committee in developing in greater depth its understanding of the relevant issues; and it enables the Committee to encourage inputs into its work from all interested parties. The issues which have been the focus of discussions held to date by the Committee may be found in annex XVI to the present report.

F. Other consultations

49. The Committee has sought to coordinate its activities with those of other bodies to the greatest extent possible and to draw as widely as it can on available expertise in the fields of its competence. For this purpose, it has consistently invited individuals such as special rapporteurs of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, chairpersons of Commission on Human Rights working groups and others to address it and engage in discussions.

50. The Committee has also sought to draw on the expertise of the relevant specialized agencies and United Nations organs, both in its work as a whole and, more particularly, in the context of its general discussions.

51. In addition, the Committee has invited a variety of experts who have a particular interest in, and knowledge of, some of the issues under review to contribute to its discussions. These contributions have added considerably to its understanding of some aspects of the questions arising under the Covenant.

G. Participation of non-governmental organizations

in the activities of the Committee

52. In order to ensure that the Committee is as well informed as possible, it provides opportunities for non‑governmental organizations to submit relevant information to it. They may do this in writing at any time. The Committee's pre‑sessional working group is also open to the submission of information in person or in writing from any non‑governmental organizations, provided that it relates to matters on the agenda of the working group. In addition, the Committee sets aside part of the first afternoon at each of its sessions to enable representatives of non‑governmental organizations to provide oral information. Such information should: (a) focus specifically on the provisions of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; (b) be of direct relevance to matters under consideration by the Committee; (c) be reliable; (d) not be abusive. The relevant meeting is open and provided with interpretation and press services, but is not covered by summary records.

53. The Committee has requested the secretariat to ensure that any written information formally submitted to it by individuals or non‑governmental organizations in relation to the consideration of a specific State party report is made available as soon as possible to the representative of the State concerned. The Committee therefore assumes that if any of this information is referred to during the dialogue with the State party, the latter will already be

aware of the information.

H. General comments*

54. In response to an invitation addressed to it by the Economic and Social Council, the Committee decided to begin, as from its third session, the preparation of general comments based on the various articles and provisions of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights with a view to assisting the States parties in fulfilling their reporting obligations.

55. By the end of its twenty-seventh session, the Committee and the Sessional Working Group of Governmental Experts, which existed prior to the creation of the Committee had examined 153 initial reports, 71 second periodic reports concerning rights covered by articles 6 to 9, 10 to 12 and 13 to 15 of the Covenant, and 95 comprehensive reports. This work covered a significant number of the States parties to the Covenant, which totalled 145 at the end of the twenty-seventh session. They represented all regions of the world, with different political, legal, socio-economic and cultural systems. Their reports submitted so far have illustrated many of the problems which might arise in implementing the Covenant, although they had not yet provided any complete picture of the global situation with regard to the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights.

56. The Committee endeavours, through its general comments, to make the experience gained so far through the examination of States' reports available for the benefit of all States parties in order to assist and promote their further implementation of the Covenant; to draw the attention of the States parties to insufficiencies disclosed by a large number of reports; to suggest improvements in the reporting procedures; and to stimulate the activities of the States parties, international organizations and the specialized agencies concerned in achieving progressively and effectively the full realization of the rights recognized in the Covenant. Whenever necessary, the Committee may, in the light of the experience of States parties and of the conclusions drawn therefrom, revise and update its general comments.

57. At its twenty-first session, the Committee adopted the outline for drafting general comments on specific rights of the Covenant. The Committee agreed that the subject matter of a particular general comment would influence the overall structure of that comment and observed that the outline was not intended to be strictly adhered to. However, the outline provided useful signposts, a checklist of issues, to be considered in the process of drafting a general comment. In this respect, the outline would assist in ensuring consistency in the content, format and ambit of general comments to be adopted by the Committee. The Committee emphasized the importance of ensuring that general comments are reader-friendly and readily understandable to a broad range of readers, primarily States parties to the Covenant. The outline will assist in ensuring consistency and clarity in the structure of the general comments, thus promoting their accessibility, and strengthening the authoritative interpretation of the Covenant provided by the Committee through its general comments.

I. Statements adopted by the Committee

58. With a view to assisting States parties to the Covenant, the Committee adopts statements to clarify and confirm its position with respect to major international developments and issues that bear upon the implementation of the Covenant. As at 30 November 2001, the Committee had adopted 13 statements, a list of which appears in annex XV to the present report.

Chapter III

Submission of reports by States parties under

articles 16 and 17 of the Covenant

59. In accordance with rule 58 of its rules of procedure, the Committee, at its 59th and 87th meetings on 12 and 30 November 2001, considered the status of submission of reports under articles 16 and 17 of the Covenant.

60. In that connection, the Committee had before it the following documents:

(a) Note by the Secretary-General on the revised general guidelines regarding the form and contents of reports to be submitted by States parties (E/C.12/1991/1);

(b) Note by the Secretary-General on States parties to the Covenant and the status of submission of reports as at 3 September 2001 (E/C.12/2001/14);

(c) Note by the secretariat on follow-up to the consideration of reports under articles 16 and 17 of the Covenant (E/C.12/2000/3).

61. The Secretary-General informed the Committee that, in addition to the reports scheduled for consideration by the Committee at its twenty-seventh session (see para. 69 below), he had received, as at 30 November 2001, the reports submitted under articles 16 and 17 of the Covenant by the following States parties:

Fourth periodic report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (E/C.12/4/Add.5, E/C.12/4/Add.7 and E/C.12/4/Add.8); second periodic report of Ireland (E/1990/6/Add.29); initial report of the Czech Republic (E/1990/5/Add.47); second periodic report of Trinidad and Tobago (E/1990/6/Add.30); initial reports of Benin (E/1990/5/Add.48) and Slovakia (E/1990/5/Add.49); fourth periodic report of Poland (E/C.12/4/Add.9); second periodic report of Georgia (E/1990/6/Add.31); initial reports of Solomon Islands (E/1990/5/Add.50), Estonia (E/1990/5/Add.51) and the Republic of Moldova (E/1990/5/Add.52); third periodic report of Luxembourg (E/1994/104/Add.24); second periodic report of Israel (E/1990/6/Add.32); initial report of Brazil (E/1990/5/Add.53); the second periodic report of New Zealand (E/1990/6/Add.33); third periodic report of Iceland (E/1994/104/Add.25) and fourth periodic report of the Russian Federation (E/C.12/4/Add.10).

62. In accordance with rule 57, paragraph 1, of the Committee's rules of procedure, a list of States parties is contained in annex I to the present report, together with an indication of the status of submission of their reports.

Chapter IV

Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under

articles 16 and 17 of the Covenant

Twenty-fifth session

63. At its twenty-fifth session, the Committee examined five reports submitted by five States parties under articles 16 and 17 of the Covenant.

64. The reports before the Committee at its twenty-fifth session were the following:

Initial reports

Honduras E/1990/5/Add.40

China: Hong Kong

Special Administrative Region

E/1990/5/Add.43

Bolivia E/1990/5/Add.44

Second periodic reports

Venezuela E/1990/6/Add.19

Republic of Korea E/1990/6/Add.23

65. In accordance with the decision it took at its twenty-fourth session, the Committee examined - on the basis of information at its disposal - the implementation of the provisions of the Covenant in Togo, a non-reporting State.

66. In accordance with rule 62 of the Committee's rules of procedure, representatives of all the reporting States were invited to participate in the meetings of the Committee when their reports were examined. All the States parties whose reports were considered by the Committee sent representatives to participate in the examination of their respective reports.

Twenty-sixth session

67. At its twenty-sixth session, the Committee examined seven reports submitted by seven States parties under articles 16 and 17 of the Covenant.

68. The following reports were before the Committee:

Initial reports

Nepal E/1990/5/Add.45

Second periodic reports

Japan E/1990/6/Add.21 and Corr.1

Panama E/1990/6/Add.24

Senegal E/1990/6/Add.25

Third periodic reports

Syrian Arab Republic E/1994/104/Add.23

Fourth periodic reports

Ukraine E/C.12/4/Add.2

Germany E/C.12/4/Add.3

Additional information

Israel E/1989/5/Add.14

69. In accordance with rule 62 of the Committee's rules of procedure, representatives of all the reporting States were invited to participate in the meetings of the Committee when their reports were examined. All the States parties, with the exception of Senegal, whose reports were considered by the Committee sent representatives to participate in the examination of their respective reports.

Twenty-seventh session

70. At its twenty-seventh session, the Committee considered six reports submitted by six States parties under articles 16 and 17 of the Covenant.

71. The Committee also considered the following reports:

Initial reports

Croatia E/1990/5/Add.46

Second periodic reports

Algeria E/1990/6/Add.26

France E/1990/6/Add.27

Jamaica E/1990/6/Add.28

Fourth periodic reports

Sweden E/C.12/4/Add.4

Colombia E/C.12/4/Add.6

72. In accordance with rule 62 of the Committee's rules of procedure, representatives of all States submitting a report were invited to participate in the meetings of the Committee when their reports were considered. All States parties, with the exception of Jamaica, whose reports were considered by the Committee sent representatives to participate in the consideration of their respective reports. In accordance with a decision adopted by the Committee at its second session, the names and positions of the members of each State party's delegation are listed in annex XVIII to the present report.

73. At its eighth session the Committee had decided to discontinue its practice of including in its annual report summaries of the consideration of country reports. In accordance with modified rule 57 of the Committee's rules of procedure, the annual report should contain, inter alia, the concluding observations of the Committee relating to each State party's report. Accordingly, the following paragraphs, arranged on a country-by-country basis according to the sequence followed by the Committee in its consideration of the reports, contain the concluding observations adopted by the Committee with respect to the States parties' reports considered at its twenty-fifth to twenty-seventh sessions.

Twenty-fifth session

VENEZUELA

74. The Committee considered the second periodic report of Venezuela on the implementation of the Covenant (E/1990/6/Add.19) at its 3rd to 5th meetings, held on 24 and 25 April 2001, and adopted, at its 19th and 23rd meetings, held on 4 and 8 May 2001, the following concluding observations.

A. Introduction

75. The Committee notes with satisfaction the presence of a large and high-level delegation and the cooperative spirit with which the delegation approached the constructive dialogue with the Committee. However, the Committee regrets the 10-year delay in the submission of the second periodic report as well as the delay in the submission of the written replies to the Committee's list of issues (E/C.12/Q/VEN/1). In addition, the Committee regrets that many questions put to the delegation received general, incomplete or vague answers.

B. Positive aspects

76. The Committee welcomes the adoption of the new 1999 Constitution, which incorporates a wide range of human rights, including a number of the economic, social and cultural rights enshrined in the Covenant, and the fact that article 23 of the Constitution accords with international human rights instruments, to which Venezuela is a party.

77. The Committee notes with appreciation the establishment of the National Plan for Human Rights of 1997, and the establishment of a national anti-poverty programme.

78. The Committee notes with satisfaction the establishment of an independent Ombudsman's Office.

79. The Committee notes with appreciation the adoption of the Law on Violence Against Women and Family in September 1998 and the Equal Opportunities for Women Act in October 1999, and the recent establishment of the autonomous National Women's Institute that will, among other things, gather statistics on the situation of women in Venezuela.

C. Factors and difficulties impeding the implementation of the Covenant

80. The Committee notes the severe floods suffered by Venezuela in 1999 and acknowledges the impact they have had on the capacity of the State party in guaranteeing the implementation of economic, social and cultural rights.

81. The Committee further notes that the recent economic recession and the adverse effects of structural adjustment programmes undergone by Venezuela in the past 10 years have restricted the ability of the State party to comply with its obligations under the Covenant.

D. Principal subjects of concern

82. The Committee is concerned at the State party's slowness in implementing its own National Plan for Human Rights and the Venezuelan society at large lacks awareness about rights enshrined in the Covenant.

83. The Committee is concerned that the ombudsman's office does not place adequate emphasis on the monitoring of the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights by the citizens of Venezuela, especially by the indigenous people, and that there is no case law relating directly to the provisions of the Covenant.

84. The Committee is concerned that the non-issuance of personal documentation to refugees and asylum-seekers by the State party's authorities seriously hinders their enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights, including the rights to work, health and education. This situation prompted a decision by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in March 2001 ordering protective measures for 287 Colombian refugees.

85. The Committee deplores the discrimination against indigenous people, particularly with regard to access to land ownership, housing, health services and sanitation, education, work and adequate nutrition. The Committee is particularly concerned about the adverse effects of the economic activities connected with the exploitation of natural resources, such as mining in the Imataca forest reserve and coal-mining in the Sierra de Perijá, on the health, living environment and way of life of the indigenous populations living in these regions.

86. The Committee regrets the inadequacy of the information provided with regard to the implementation of articles 6 and 7 of the Covenant. The Committee is concerned at the high rate of unemployment and lack of job security for workers as hiring practices become more flexible, driving many workers into the informal sector.

87. Despite the stipulations in article 91 of the Constitution establishing the right of everyone to sufficient wages to support a worker and his family, and by which minimum wages are adjusted every year, the Committee is concerned that the minimum wage is still far short of meeting workers' basic requirements, and that there are disparities between urban and rural wages.

88. The Committee is concerned that following the national referendum of December 2000 on trade union reorganization, the entire leadership of the country's union federations and confederations was dismissed whereas only union members can elect or remove their leaders.

89. The Committee is alarmed about the high rate of domestic violence and the extent of child prostitution and trafficking in children, and regrets the lack of available statistics on the number of street children. The Committee is deeply concerned about the extent of the sex trade involving children and the inability of the State party to address these issues.

90. The Committee is deeply concerned that the efforts of the State party to improve the situation of its people are inadequate, and that there is still an alarmingly high level of poverty in Venezuela, especially among the indigenous peoples, and that economic, social and cultural rights are not integrated into the Government's anti-poverty programme.

E. Suggestions and recommendations

91. The Committee recommends that the State party seek advisory services from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights concerning the overall implementation of the National Plan for Human Rights, and in particular the inclusion of economic, social and cultural rights of the Plan.

92. The Committee urges the State party to organize an awareness-raising campaign to educate the public at large on their economic, social and cultural rights, and to target in particular magistrates, police officers and other responsible officials.

93. The Committee encourages the State party to proceed with the adoption of the Act establishing the ombudsman's office and urges the ombudsman to attend closely to the promotion and protection of economic, social and cultural rights, in particular with respect to indigenous communities.

94. The Committee encourages the State party to ratify the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. The Committee recommends that the State party issue personal documentation to asylum-seekers in order to enable them to enjoy their basic rights under the Covenant and to apply the protective measures recommended in March 2001 by the Inter‑American Commission on Human Rights.

95. The Committee requests the State party to provide, in its next periodic report, detailed information on the situation of indigenous peoples and on the efforts, if any, by the Government to acknowledge the specific economic, social and cultural rights of the indigenous people as a distinct minority group and to improve their situation, in particular in the Imataca forest reserve and the Sierra de Perijá.

96. The Committee also requests the State party to provide, in its next periodic report, more detailed information relating to articles 6 and 7 of the Covenant, including in particular an account of the role of labour inspectors, and urges the State party to implement the 1986 law on prevention, conditions and environment of work, which determines safe and healthy conditions of work.

97. The Committee recommends that the State party take effective action to reduce the unemployment rate by, inter alia, providing training for young people and protection against unwarranted dismissal for workers, and by conducting regular reviews of the minimum wage levels to enable workers to attain an adequate standard of living for themselves and their families.

98. The Committee calls on the State party to comply with the recommendation of the International Labour Office requesting the revocation of the decisions taken following the results of the referendum on trade union reorganization and to refrain from making hostile declarations against independent trade union federations. It also recommends that the bill in preparation afford all workers trade union freedoms as required by article 8 of the Covenant.

99. The Committee invites the State party to provide, in its next periodic report, updated statistics on the situation of women in Venezuela, in particular on the phenomenon of domestic violence, as well as on the status of implementation of the newly adopted Law on Violence Against Women and Family. The Committee urges the State party to take more effective measures to combat domestic violence against women and children.

100. The Committee also urges the State party to indicate, in its next periodic report, the problem of the measures it has undertaken to address the problem of street children and, in particular, the problem of their sexual exploitation.

101. The Committee further urges the State party to seek international technical assistance in the implementation of its anti-poverty programme.

102. The Committee requests the State party to provide, in its next periodic report, detailed information about the functioning of the social security system, the privatization of the health‑care system and the integration of vulnerable groups, including indigenous people, into the health‑care system.

103. The Committee recommends that the State party implement, with the assistance of UNESCO, a comprehensive National Education for All Plan as required by the Dakar Framework for Action, adopted at the World Education Forum in April 2000, and to

reflect in the plan articles 13 and 14 of the Covenant and the Committee's General Comments No. 11 (1999) on plans of action for primary education (art. 14 of the Covenant) and No. 13 (1999) on the right to education (art. 13 of the Covenant).

104. The Committee urges the State party to develop a more elaborate system of national statistics on all the rights enshrined in the Covenant. In particular, the Committee requests the State party to provide, in its next periodic report, information including relevant statistics on the incidence of violence, the general housing situation, forced evictions, and on the status of land reform in Venezuela. The Committee further recommends that the State party provide information on the steps taken in these respects.

105. The Committee requests that the State party disseminate these concluding observations as widely as possible among the State institutions concerned, as well as its citizens.

106. The Committee also requests the State party to address, in its third periodic report, the implementation of these concluding observations.

107. The Committee further requests the State party to submit its third periodic report by 30 June 2006.

HONDURAS

108. The Committee considered the initial report of Honduras on the implementation of the Covenant (E/1990/5/Add.40) at its 5th to 8th meetings, held on 25 and 26 April 2001, and adopted, at its 24th and 25th meetings held on 8 and 9 May 2001, the following concluding observations.

A. Introduction

109. The Committee welcomes the initial report of the State party, which was in general prepared in conformity with the Committee's guidelines, although submitted after many years' delay. The Committee welcomes in particular the open and frank nature of the constructive dialogue with the delegation and its willingness to answer the questions posed by the Committee.

B. Positive aspects

110. The Committee notes with satisfaction the assertion by the State party that the Covenant is part of national law and that it can be invoked before a court of law, although the delegation was not able to provide any examples of case law.

111. The Committee also notes with appreciation the State party's declaration of its support for an optional protocol to the Covenant.

112. The Committee takes note with satisfaction of the establishment of institutions,