text: Mr.Christian Tomuschat (Federal Republic ofGermany)·· Mr.S.Amos ~ako(Kenya)· Mr.AdamZielinski (Poland)· •Termofofficeexpires on31December 1988. ••Termofofficeexpires on31December 1986. Atthefortieth session, theGeneral Assembly willhavebeforeitthereport oftbeHumanRights Committee onitstwenty-third, twenty-fourth andtwenty-fifth sessions, whichwillbeissuedasSupplement No.40(A/40/40). (b)StatusoftheInternational Covenant onEconomic, Social andCultural Rights, theInternational Covenant onCivilandPolitical Rights andthe Optional Protocol totheInternational Covenant onCivilandPolitical Rights: reportoftheSecretary-General Asat1September 1985,84States hadratified oracceded totheInternational Covenant onEconomic, Social andCultural Rights; 80States hadratified oracceded totheInternational Covenant onCivilandPolitical Rights; and35States had ratified oracceded totheOptional Protocol totheInternational Covenant onCivil andPolitical Rights. Atitsfirstregular session of1985,theEconomic andSocialCouncil, inits resolution 1985117 of28May1985,interalia,decided thattheSessional ~orking GroupofGovernmental Experts ontheImplementation oftheInternational Covenant onEconomic, Social andCultural Rights wouldberenamed ItCommittee onEconomic, Social andCultural Rights" andthattheCommittee wouldhave18members whowould beexperts withrecognized competence inthefieldofhumanrights, serving in theirpersonal capacity, dueconsideration beinggiventoeauitable geographical distribution andtotherepresentation ofdifferent formsofsocial andlegal systems; anddecided that15seatswillbeequally distributed amongtheregional groups, whiletheadditional threeseatswillbeallocated inaccordance withthe increase inthetotalnumberofStatesparties perregional group. Inthesameresolution, theEconomic andSocialCouncil further decided: that themembers oftheCommittee wouldbeelected bytheCouncil bysecretballot from alistofpersons nominated byStatesparties totheInternational Covenant on Economic, Social andCultural Rights; thattheywouldbeelected foratermof fouryearsandwouldbeeligible forre-election attheendoftheirterm,if renominated; thatonehalfofthemembership oftheCommittee wouldberenewed everysecondyear;thatthefirstelections wouldtakeplaceduringthe firstregular session of1986oftheCouncil; thatthetermsofofficeofmembers I...A/40/100/Add.l English Page71 elected totheCommittee wouldbeginon1January following theirelection and expireon31December following theelection ofmembers thatwouldsucceed themas members oftheCommittee; andthatsubsequent elections wouldtakeplaceevery secondyearduringthefirstregular session oftheCouncil. TheCouncil further decided: thattbeCommittee wouldmeetannually foraperiodofuptothreeweeks, takingintoaccount thenumberofreports toheexamined bytheCommittee, withtbe venuealternating between Geneva andNewYork;tbattheCommittee wouldsubmitto theCouncil areportonitsactivities, including asummary ofitsconsideration of thereports submitted byStatesparties totheCovenant, andwouldmakesuggestions andrecommendations ofageneral nature onthebasisofitsconsideration ofthose reports andofthereports suhmitted bythespecialized agencies, inorderto assisttheCouncil tofulfil, inparticular, itsresponsibilities underarticles 21 and22oftheCovenant. Inthesameresolution, theEconomic andSocialCouncil further decided that theprocedures andmethods ofworkestahlished byCouncil resolutions 1988(LX)of 11May1976,1979/43 of11May1979and1982/33 of6May1982,anddecisions 1978/10 of3May1978and1981/158 of8May1981wouldremaininforceinsofaras theywerenotsuperseded ormodified byCouncil resolution 1985/17 andthatthe Council wouldreview thecomposition, organization andadministrative arrangements oftheCommittee atitsfirstregular session of1990,andsubsequently every fiveyears,takingintoaccount theprinciple ofequitable geographical distribution ofitsmembership (resolution 1985/17). Atthesamesession, theEconomic andSocialCouncil decided, while maintaining thecurrent programme ofbiennial reports forthefirstcycleofthe reporting procedure underarticle 16oftheCovenant, toprolong byoneyearthe
analysis: The text appears to be discussing the establishment and functioning of a committee related to human rights, specifically the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The text mentions the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which suggests a focus on human rights and social issues rather than economic development or natural resources.