TNAG-1066-FCO40-1316-Human-rights-in-Hong-Kong-1981 — Page 86

E/CN.4/1503 page 10

enable States to "voluntarily obligate themselves

themselves to observe

new rules of international law, making individuals into sub-

jects and not just objects of that jurisprudence". 1/ These Covenants were followed by the Declaration on the Elimination

of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which the General

Assembly adopted unanimously in 1963, and the International

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimi-

nation adopted by the General Assembly in 1965.

2

h

C

t

C

21. The number of accessions to these Covenants has been

increasing steadily, and mechanisms for monitoring and implemen-

tation have been devised. At its last Session, the General

Assembly passed several resolutions relevant to human rights questions. In Resolution 36/58, the General Assembly, "having

noted 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

Covenant on Civil

and Political Rights" and after noting with appreciation that

more Member States had acceded to the Covenants, took "due note

of Economic and Social Council decision 1981/162 of 8 May 1981

concerning the review of the composition, organization and

administrative arrangements of the Sessional Working Group of Governmental Experts on the Implementation of the International

Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and looks

forward to further results in this regard at the first regular

session of the Council in 1982."

(

1

1/ Stephen B. Young, "Between Sovereigns: A Re-examination of the Refugee's Status", Harvard Law School, 1981.

j