International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Parties and signatories to the ICESCR: signed and ratified signed but not ratified neither signed nor ratified | |
| Type | United Nations General Assembly Resolution |
|---|---|
| Drafted | 1954 |
| Signed | 16 December 1966[1] |
| Location | United Nations Headquarters, New York City |
| Effective | 3 January 1976[1] |
| Signatories | 71 |
| Parties | 173 |
| Depositary | Secretary-General of the United Nations |
| Languages | French, English, Russian, Chinese and Spanish (authentic texts pursuant to Article 31 of the Covenant),[2] as well as Arabic (official text adopted by the UN General Assembly)[3] |
| Full text at Wikisource | |
The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) is a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (GA) on 16 December 1966 through GA. Resolution 2200A (XXI), and came into force on 3 January 1976.[1] It commits its parties to work toward the granting of economic, social, and cultural rights (ESCR) to all individuals including those living in Non-Self-Governing and Trust Territories. The rights include labour rights, the right to health, the right to education, and the right to an adequate standard of living. As of August 2025, the Covenant has 173 parties.[4] A further four countries, including the United States, have signed but not ratified the Covenant.
The ICESCR (and its Optional Protocol) is part of the International Bill of Human Rights, along with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), including the latter's first and second Optional Protocols.[5]
The Covenant is monitored by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.[6]
- ^ a b c "International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights". www.refworld.org.
- ^ "General Assembly Resolution 2200 (XXI)". Retrieved 21 February 2025.
- ^ "General Assembly Resolution 2200 (XXI) in Arabic". Retrieved 21 February 2025.
- ^ "UN Treaty Collection: International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights". UN. 3 January 1976.
- ^ "Fact Sheet No.2 (Rev.1), The International Bill of Human Rights". UN OHCHR. June 1996. Archived from the original on 13 March 2008. Retrieved 2 June 2008.
- ^ "Committee on economic, social and cultural rights". www.ohchr.org.