UN human rights experts examine NZ government's performance on economic, social and cultural rights

Peace Movement Aotearoa

3 May 2012

On Friday, 4 May and Monday, 7 May 2012, the government's performance in implementing the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) will be considered by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights during its 48th session in Geneva.

The Committee comprises 18 independent human rights experts who are each elected for a term of four years by state parties to the ICESCR.

The dialogue between Committee members and government representatives will be webcast at http://www.treatybodywebcast.org - the session start times are:
• 10am and 3pm on Friday, 4 May (NZ time: 8pm on Friday, 4 May, and 1am on Saturday, 5 May), and
• 10am on Monday, 7 May (NZ time: 8pm on Monday, 7 May).
The 48th session goes through to 18 May 2012, and the Committee’s Concluding Observations will be available the week after the session finishes.

The process of considering the government's progress in implementing the ICESCR began in May 2011.

The Committee's initial assessment of the government's Third Periodic Report (E/C.12/NZL/3) - http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/nzcescr3.pdf - took place during the Committee's 46th Pre-Sessional Working Group which was held in Geneva from 23 to 27 May 2011.

Information was provided to the Pre-Sessional Working Group by three national NGOs - Aotearoa Indigenous Rights Trust ( http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/wg46-airt.pdf ), Amnesty International and Peace Movement Aotearoa ( http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/wg46-pma.pdf ); three international NGOs - Human Rights and Tobacco Control Network, International Baby Food Action Network and the International Disability Alliance; and the NZ Human Rights Commission.

During the Pre-Sessional Working Group, the Committee drew up the List of Issues (E/C.12/NZL/Q/3) - http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/E-C.12-NZL-Q-3.pdf - questions on which the government is to provide more information. The government's response to the List of Issues (E/C.12/NZL/Q/3/Add.1) - http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/E-C.12-NZL-Q-3-Add.1.pdf - was sent to the Committee in November 2011.

In March and April 2012, follow up reports were provided by three national NGOs - Amnesty International, Human Rights Foundation ( http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/CESCR48-HRF.pdf ) and Peace Movement Aotearoa ( http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/CESCR48-PMA.pdf ); one international NGO - the International Disability Alliance; and the NZ Human Rights Commission.

Background information on the International Covenant and its Optional Protocol, the Committee, the NZ government and the ICESCR, and the process of consideration of state party reports will be available at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/cescr3rd.htm on Friday, 4 May 2012.

Peace Movement Aotearoa will be monitoring the Committee’s consideration of the government’s progress on economic, social and cultural rights throughout the 48th session - updates will be added to http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/cescr3rd.htm daily between 4 and 8 May, and the Concluding Observations will be available there as soon as they are released.
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