UN Human Rights Treaties

General Assembly—Sixth Session

542 (VI). Communications concerning human rights
The General Assembly,
Noting that the Economic and Social Council has taken no action with respect to the resolution of the Commission on Human Rights" on communications con¬cerning human rights,
Decides to invite the Economic and Social Council to give the Commission on Human Rights instructions for its ninth session with regard to such communica¬tions and to request the Commission to formulate its recommendations on them.
374th plenary meeting, 4 February 1952.
543 (VI). Preparation of two Draft International Covenants on Human Rights
Whereas the Economic and Social Council, by reso¬lution 303 I (XI) of 9 August 1950, requested the General Assembly to make a policy decision concerning the inclusion of economic, social and cultural rights in the Covenant on Human Rights,
Whereas the General Assembly affirmed, in its reso¬lution 421 E (V) of 4 December 1950, that "the enjoy-ment of civic and political freedoms and of economic, social and cultural rights are interconnected and inter¬dependent" and that "when deprived of economic, so¬cial and cultural rights, man does not represent the human person whom the Universal Declaration regards as the ideal of the free man",
Whereas the General Assembly, after a thorough and all-round discussion, confirmed in the aforementioned resolution the principle that economic, social and cul¬tural rights should be included in the Covenant on Human Rights,
Whereas the General Assembly, at the request of the Economic and Social Council in resolution 384 (XIII) of 29 August 1951, reconsidered this matter at its sixth session,
The General Assembly
1. Requests the Economic and Social Council to ask the Commission on Human Rights to draft two Cove¬nants on Human Rights, to be submitted simultaneously for the consideration of the General Assembly at its seventh session, one to contain civil and political rights and the other to contain economic, social and cultural rights, in order that the General Assembly may ap¬prove the two Covenants simultaneously and open them at the same time for signature, the two Covenants to contain, in order to emphasize the unity of the aim in view and to ensure respect for and observance of human rights, as many similar provisions as possible, particularly in so far as the reports to be submitted by States on the implementation of those rights are con¬cerned ;
2. Requests the Secretary-General to ask Member States and appropriate specialized agencies to submit drafts or memoranda containing their views on the form and contents of the proposed Covenant on eco-nomic, social and cultural rights, together with their ob-
8 See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, Thirteenth Session, Supplement No. 9, chapter IV.

servations thereon, to reach the Secretary-General be¬fore 1 March 1952, for the information and guidance
of the Commission on Human Rights at its forthcom¬ing session.
375th penary meeting,
5 February 1952.
544 (VI). Preparation of articles on economic, social and cultural rights
The General Assembly,
Considering that the Commission on Human Rights has, by virtue of General Assembly resolution 421 E (V) of 4 December 1950, prepared various articles on economic, social and cultural rights,"
Considering that the wording of those articles, which have been examined during the present session of the General Assembly, should be improved in order to pro¬tect more effectively the rights to which they refer,
Calls upon the Economic and Social Council to re¬quest the Commission on Human Rights to take into
consideration, when revising the relevant articles of the draft Covenant, the views expressed during the discus¬sion of the draft Covenant, and also such views as the governments of Member States, the specialized agen¬cies and non-governmental organizations may think fit to advance.
375th plenary meeting,
5 February 1952.
545 (VI). Inclusion in the International Cove¬ nant or Covenants on Human Rights of an
article relating to the right of peoples to self-determination
Whereas the General Assembly at its fifth session recognized the right of peoples and nations to self-determination as a fundamental human right (resolu¬tion 421 D (V) of 4 December 1950),
Whereas the Economic and Social Council and the Commission on Human Rights, owing to lack of time, were unable to carry out the request of the General Assembly to study ways and means which would en¬sure the above-mentioned right to peoples and nations, Whereas the violation of this right has resulted in bloodshed and war in the past and is considered a con¬tinuous threat to peace, The General Assembly (i) To save the present and succeeding generations
from the scourge of war, (ii) To reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights,
and (iii) To take due account of the political aspira¬tions of all peoples and thus to further inter¬national peace and security, and to develop friendly relations among nations based on re¬spect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, 1. Decides to include in the International Covenant or Covenants on Human Rights an article on the right of all peoples and nations to self-determination in re¬affirmation of the principle enunciated in the Char¬ter of the United Nations. This article shall be drafted in the following terms: "All peoples shall have the
'Ibid., Supplement No. 9.