The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights concluded on 18 May its three-week spring session by adopting its concluding observations and recommendations on the reports of Nepal, Hungary, the Netherlands (Antilles), Finland and Latvia which it considered during the session.
These countries are among the 155 States parties to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights which are required to submit periodic reports to the Committee on efforts to implement the provisions of the treaty, which entered into force in 1976. With regards to the third periodic report of Hungary, the Committee noted with appreciation the recent adoption of legislative and other measures to combat discrimination and promote equal opportunities for disadvantaged and marginalized individuals and groups in the area of economic, social and cultural rights. The Committee was concerned about the extremely high unemployment rate among the Roma in the State party and about discrimination against Roma by private and public employers. The Committee recommended that the State party consider adopting a comprehensive Gender Equality Law promoting equal opportunities for women, in particular in the fields covered by the Covenant.
The next session of the Committee will take place from 30 April to 18 May 2007, at which time the Committee will take up reports from five countries: Costa Rica, Ukraine, France, Belgium, and Paraguay.
Selections from: “Committee on Economic, Cultural and Social Rights Concludes Thirty-Eighth Session,” press release, United Nations, 23 May 2007.