The Role of United Nations’ Economic & Social Council with regard to Human Rights

 

The Role of United Nations’ Economic & Social Council with regard to Human Rights:- The Economic & Social Council is one of main organs of the United Nations which is playing the vital role to fulfill its purposes and principles. The council has been composed under article 61[1] which consists from the elected 54 members of the U.N.O. by the General Assembly. Many powers and functions have been furnished to the Economic & Social Council including also in respect of human rights in the U.N. Charter which are as article (s) 62(2) expresses that the council may confer the recommendation with regard to the purposes of the promotion, respect & observance of human rights & fundamental freedoms for all. The council shall establish the Commission (s) in the field of economic & social and for promoting the human rights. The other such Commission (s) may also be constituted by the Council to perform its functions as required.[2] In this regard, the reporting system for the implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights 1966 is available. The states members of the International economic covenant are the under obligation for the submission of report (s) with respect to the adopted measures by them & the progress in connection with the achievement of the general observance of the rights as contained in the International Covenant on Economic, Social, Cultural Rights 1966. In this connection, all reports are furnished for the submission to the Secretary General of the United Nations who shall transmit the copy (ies) to the Economic & Social Council to conducting the consideration (s) in according to the provisions of the covenant. The copy (ies) of the report (s) shall also be transmitted to the Agency (ies) specialized or any relevant parts thereof, the state members of the covenant which are also the member of the Agency (ies) specialized as far as the reports or the parts related which comes within the ambit of the responsibilities of the above said agencies as per their constitutional instruments.[3] The states members of the covenant shall furnish the report in relation to the stages as required according to a programme to be established by the Economic& Social Council within one year from the entry into the covenant after the consultation of the states members & Agency (ies) specialized respective.[4] The Economic& Social Council may conduct the transmission of the same to the Commission on Human Rights to study & furnish the general recommendation (s) or to confer information of the report (s) relating to human rights as submitted by the states & Agency (ies) specialized respective.[5] Subsequently the general recommendation (s) is furnished by the Commission on Human Rights; the state members of the covenant & Agency (ies) specialized respective may submit the comment (s) but such comment (s) are not submitted to the Commission on Human Rights. They are submitted to the Economic& Social Council.[6] The aforesaid council may provide the submission (s) to from time to time to the General Assembly report (s) & recommendation (s) of a general nature & the summary of the piece (s) of information as obtained from the state members to the covenant & the Agency (ies) specialized respective related to the adopted measures & the progress conducted in the achievement of general observance of the rights as mentioned in the covenant.[7] In this respect, the state members have provided their agreement (s) for the International action (s) to achieve the rights as contained in the covenant with the inclusion of the methods as the findings of the conventions, the acceptance of the recommendation (s), to furnish the technical assistance and to hold the regional & technical meetings for the purposes of the consultation & study arranged in the conjunction with the governments respective[8]. As a result, the Economic & Social Council has the most important role and importance in respect of the implementation of human rights for the world welfare.

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[1]The Charter of United Nations.

[2]Article 68 of Ibid

[3]Article 16 of Ibid

[4]Article 17 of Ibid

[5]Article 17 of Ibid

[6]Article 20 of Ibid

[7]Article 21 of Ibid

[8]Dr. S.K. Kapoor: Human Rights under International Law and Indian Law: Central Law Agency, Allahabad: 5^th Edition 2011 Page no.60-61.