Universal Declaration of Human Rights @ 60+ logo
Gathering a body of global agreements
logo of United Nations General Assembly


  United Nations


A/RES/38/116 



un logo

General Assembly

Distr: General
16 December 1983
Original: English

black line

Thirty-eighth session
Agenda item 96

Resolution adopted by the General Assembly

38/116. International Covenants on Human Rights

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolutions 33/51 of 14 December 1978, 34/45 of 23 November 1979, 35/132 of 11 December 1980, 36/58 of 25 November 1981 and 37/191 of 18 December 1982,

Having taken note of the report of the Secretary-General on the status of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,

Noting with appreciation that, following its appeal, more Member States have acceded to the International Covenants on Human Rights,

Recognizing the important role of the Human Rights Committee in the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Optional Protocol thereto,

Taking into account the useful work of the Sessional Working Group of Governmental Experts on the Implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,

Bearing in mind the important responsibilities of the Economic and Social Council in relation to the International Covenants on Human Rights,

Noting Economic and Social Council decision 1983/184 of 29 July 1983, in which the Council invited the General Assembly to consider at its thirty-eighth session the possibility of scheduling the meetings of the Human Rights Committee so that the Committee's report could be submitted to the Assembly through the Council at its first regular session,

1.Notes with appreciation the report of the Human Rights Committee on its seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth sessions, and expresses satisfaction with the serious and constructive manner in which the Committee is continuing to undertake its functions;

2.Expresses its appreciation to those States parties to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that have extended their co-operation to the Human Rights Committee in submitting their reports under article 40 of the Covenant and urges States parties that have not yet done so to submit their reports to the Committee as speedily as possible;

3.Urges those States parties to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that have been requested by the Human Rights Committee to provide additional information to comply with that request;

4.Commends those States parties to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights that have submitted their reports under article 16 of the Covenant and urges States that have not yet done so to submit their reports as soon as possible, and, in those instances in which it is not possible to do so, to inform the Sessional Working Group of Governmental Experts on the Implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights as to when those reports will be submitted;

5.Notes with satisfaction that the majority of States parties to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and an increasing number of States parties to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, have been represented by experts for the presentation of their reports, thereby assisting the Human Rights Committee and the Economic and Social Council in their work, and hopes that all States parties to both Covenants will arrange such representation in the future;

6.Again invites all States that have not yet done so to become parties to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as to consider acceding to the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

7.Invites the States parties to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to consider making the declaration provided for in article 41 of the Covenant;

8.Emphasizes the importance of 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 Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

9.Requests the Secretary-General to continue to keep the Human Rights Committee informed of the activities of the Commission on Human Rights, the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and also to transmit the annual reports of the Human Rights Committee to those bodies;

10.Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its thirty-ninth session a report on the status of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

11.Urges the Secretary-General to take further positive steps to ensure that adequate publicity and other arrangements are made to enable the Human Rights Committee and the Economic and Social Council to implement effectively, within existing resources, their respective functions under the International Covenants on Human Rights;

12.Also urges the Secretary-General to expedite arrangements for publication of the official public records of the Human Rights Committee in bound volumes, as indicated in General Assembly resolution 37/191, starting with its first session;

13.Requests the Secretary-General to continue to take all possible steps to ensure that the Centre for Human Rights of the Secretariat is able to assist effectively the Human Rights Committee and the Economic and Social Council in the implementation of their respective functions under the International Covenants on Human Rights, taking into account General Assembly resolutions 3534 (XXX) of 17 December 1975 and 31/93 of 14 December 1976.

100th plenary meeting
16 December 1983