China faces grilling in review of key rights by UN committee

Subject: International Relations

Concept:

Chinese Ambassador Chen Xu and a delegation of about 40 envoys from China, Hong Kong and Macau faced questions from the N. Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which reviews respect of those rights in nearly all U.N. member states every few years.
The hearing was built around questions from submissions from nearly 20 nongovernmental groups, and conducted by independent experts working with the U.N. who make up the committee, which aims to help countries uphold their commitments under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

About UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR):

The CESCR was set up in 1985 by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations.
It was constituted with an aim to monitor on its behalf the implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESR), which has been ratified by 169 countries.
The countries that are parties to the covenant are required to submit reports to the CESCR every five years on how they protect the economic, social and cultural rights.
The committee examines each report and addresses its concerns and recommendations to the State party in the form of concluding observations.
The Members of the CESCR serve in their personal capacities as experts and do not represent their countries even though they may be nominated by their own nation.
The CECSR meets in Geneva and holds two sessions per year, consisting of a three-week plenary and a one-week pre-sessional working group.

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)

The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) is a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (GA).
It commits its parties to work toward the granting of economic, social, and cultural rights (ESCR) to the Non-Self-Governing and Trust Territories and individuals, including labour rights and the right to health, the right to education, and the right to an adequate standard of living.
As of July 2020, the Covenant has 171 parties. India ratified the treaty in 1979.
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.
The Covenant is monitored by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Optional Protocol :
The Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights is a side-agreement to the Covenant which allows its parties to recognise the competence of the Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights to consider complaints from individuals.