The States Parties to the present Covenant,

     Considering that, in accordance with the principles proclaimed in the Charter of the United
     Nations, recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all
     members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,

     Recognizing that these rights derive from the inherent dignity of the human person,

     Recognizing that, in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the ideal
     of free human beings enjoying civil and political freedom and freedom from fear and want
     can only be achieved if conditions are created whereby everyone may enjoy his civil and
     political rights, as well as his economic, social and cultural rights,

     Considering the obligation of States under the Charter of the United Nations to promote
     universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and freedoms,

     Realizing that the individual, having duties to other individuals and to the community to
     which he belongs, is under a responsibility to strive for the promotion and observance of the
     rights recognized in the present Covenant,

     Agree upon the following articles:

                                   PART I

Article 1 General comment on its implementation

     1. All peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely
     determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural
     development.

     2. All peoples may, for their own ends, freely dispose of their natural wealth and resources
     without prejudice to any obligations arising out of international economic co-operation,
     based upon the principle of mutual benefit, and international law. In no case may a people
     be deprived of its own means of subsistence.

     3. The States Parties to the present Covenant, including those having responsibility for the
     administration of Non-Self-Governing and Trust Territories, shall promote the realization of
     the right of self-determination, and shall respect that right, in conformity with the provisions
     of the Charter of the United Nations.

                                   PART II

Article 2 General comment on its implementation

     1. Each State Party to the present Covenant undertakes to respect and to ensure to all
     individuals within its territory and subject to its jurisdiction the rights recognized in the
     present Covenant, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language,
     religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

     2. Where not already provided for by existing legislative or other measures, each State
     Party to the present Covenant undertakes to take the necessary steps, in accordance with
     its constitutional processes and with the provisions of the present Covenant, to adopt such
     laws or other measures as may be necessary to give effect to the rights recognized in the
     present Covenant.

     3. Each State Party to the present Covenant undertakes:

          (a) To ensure that any person whose rights or freedoms as herein recognized
          are violated shall have an effective remedy, notwithstanding that the violation
          has been committed by persons acting in an official capacity;

          (b) To ensure that any person claiming such a remedy shall have his right
          thereto determined by competent judicial, administrative or legislative
          authorities, or by any other competent authority provided for by the legal
          system of the State, and to develop the possibilities of judicial remedy;

          (c) To ensure that the competent authorities shall enforce such remedies
          when granted.

Article 3 General comment on its implementation

     The States Parties to the present Covenant undertake to ensure the equal right of men and
     women to the enjoyment of all civil and political rights set forth in the present Covenant.
        General comment on its implementation

Article 4 General comment on its implementation

     1 . In time of public emergency which threatens the life of the nation and the existence of
     which is officially proclaimed, the States Parties to the present Covenant may take
     measures derogating from their obligations under the present Covenant to the extent strictly
     required by the exigencies of the situation, provided that such measures are not
     inconsistent with their other obligations under international law and do not involve
     discrimination solely on the ground of race, colour, sex, language, religion or social origin.

     2. No derogation from articles 6, 7, 8 (paragraphs I and 2), 11, 15, 16 and 18 maybe made under this provision.

     3. Any State Party to the present Covenant availing itself of the right of derogation shall
     immediately inform the other States Parties to the present Covenant, through the
     intermediary of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, of the provisions from which it
     has derogated and of the reasons by which it was actuated. A further communication shall
     be made, through the same intermediary, on the date on which it terminates such
     derogation.

Article 5

     1. Nothing in the present Covenant may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or
     person any right to engage in any activity or perform any act aimed at the destruction of
     any of the rights and freedoms recognized herein or at their limitation to a greater extent
     than is provided for in the present Covenant.

     2. There shall be no restriction upon or derogation from any of the fundamental human
     rights recognized or existing in any State Party to the present Covenant pursuant to law,
     conventions, regulations or custom on the pretext that the present Covenant does not
     recognize such rights or that it recognizes them to a lesser extent.

                                   PART III

Article 6 General comment on its implementation

     1. Every human being has the inherent right to life. This right shall be protected by law. No
     one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life.

     2. In countries which have not abolished the death penalty, sentence of death may be
     imposed only for the most serious crimes in accordance with the law in force at the time of
     the commission of the crime and not contrary to the provisions of the present Covenant and
     to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. This penalty
     can only be carried out pursuant to a final judgement rendered by a competent court.

     3. When deprivation of life constitutes the crime of genocide, it is understood that nothing in
     this article shall authorize any State Party to the present Covenant to derogate in any way
     from any obligation assumed under the provisions of the Convention on the Prevention and
     Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

     4. Anyone sentenced to death shall have the right to seek pardon or commutation of the
     sentence. Amnesty, pardon or commutation of the sentence of death may be granted in all
     cases.

     5. Sentence of death shall not be imposed for crimes committed by persons below
     eighteen years of age and shall not be carried out on pregnant women.

     6. Nothing in this article shall be invoked to delay or to prevent the abolition of capital
     punishment by any State Party to the present Covenant.

Article 7 General comment on its implementation

     No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or
     punishment. In particular, no one shall be subjected without his free consent to medical or
     scientific experimentation.

Article 8

     1. No one shall be held in slavery; slavery and the slave-trade in all their forms shall be
     prohibited.

     2. No one shall be held in servitude.

     3.

          (a) No one shall be required to perform forced or compulsory labour;

          (b) Paragraph 3 (a) shall not be held to preclude, in countries where
          imprisonment with hard labour may be imposed as a punishment for a crime,
          the performance of hard labour in pursuance of a sentence to such
          punishment by a competent court;

          (c) For the purpose of this paragraph the term "forced or compulsory labour"
          shall not include:

               (i) Any work or service, not referred to in subparagraph (b),
               normally required of a person who is under detention in
               consequence of a lawful order of a court, or of a person during
               conditional release from such detention;

               (ii) Any service of a military character and, in countries where
               conscientious objection is recognized, any national service
               required by law of conscientious objectors;

               (iii) Any service exacted in cases of emergency or calamity
               threatening the life or well-being of the community;

               (iv) Any work or service which forms part of normal civil
               obligations.

Article 9 General comment on its implementation

     1. Everyone has the right to liberty and security of person. No one shall be subjected to
     arbitrary arrest or detention. No one shall be deprived of his liberty except on such grounds
     and in accordance with such procedure as are established by law.

     2. Anyone who is arrested shall be informed, at the time of arrest, of the reasons for his
     arrest and shall be promptly informed of any charges against him.

     3. Anyone arrested or detained on a criminal charge shall be brought promptly before a
     judge or other officer authorized by law to exercise judicial power and shall be entitled to
     trial within a reasonable time or to release. It shall not be the general rule that persons
     awaiting trial shall be detained in custody, but release may be subject to guarantees to
     appear for trial, at any other stage of the judicial proceedings, and, should occasion arise,
     for execution of the judgement.

     4. Anyone who is deprived of his liberty by arrest or detention shall be entitled to take
     proceedings before a court, in order that court may decide without delay on the lawfulness
     of his detention and order his release if the detention is not lawful.

     5. Anyone who has been the victim of unlawful arrest or detention shall have an enforceable
     right to compensation.

Article 10 General comment on its implementation

     1. All persons deprived of their liberty shall be treated with humanity and with respect for
     the inherent dignity of the human person.

     2.

          (a) Accused persons shall, save in exceptional circumstances, be
          segregated from convicted persons and shall be subject to separate
          treatment appropriate to their status as unconvicted persons;

          (b) Accused juvenile persons shall be separated from adults and brought as
          speedily as possible for adjudication. 3. The penitentiary system shall
          comprise treatment of prisoners the essential aim of which shall be their
          reformation and social rehabilitation. Juvenile offenders shall be segregated
          from adults and be accorded treatment appropriate to their age and legal
          status.

Article 11

     No one shall be imprisoned merely on the ground of inability to fulfil a contractual
     obligation.

Article 12 General comment on its implementation

     1. Everyone lawfully within the territory of a State shall, within that territory, have the right to liberty of movement and freedom to choose his residence.

     2. Everyone shall be free to leave any country, including his own.

     3. The above-mentioned rights shall not be subject to any restrictions except those which
     are provided by law, are necessary to protect national security, public order (ordre public),
     public health or morals or the rights and freedoms of others, and are consistent with the
     other rights recognized in the present Covenant.

     4. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of the right to enter his own country.
 

Article 13

     An alien lawfully in the territory of a State Party to the present Covenant may be expelled
     therefrom only in pursuance of a decision reached in accordance with law and shall, except
     where compelling reasons of national security otherwise require, be allowed to submit the
     reasons against his expulsion and to have his case reviewed by, and be represented for the
     purpose before, the competent authority or a person or persons especially designated by
     the competent authority.

Article 14 General comment on its implementation

     1. All persons shall be equal before the courts and tribunals. In the determination of any
     criminal charge against him, or of his rights and obligations in a suit at law, everyone shall
     be entitled to a fair and public hearing by a competent, independent and impartial tribunal
     established by law. The press and the public may be excluded from all or part of a trial for
     reasons of morals, public order (ordre public) or national security in a democratic society,
     or when the interest of the private lives of the parties so requires, or to the extent strictly
     necessary in the opinion of the court in special circumstances where publicity would
     prejudice the interests of justice; but any judgement rendered in a criminal case or in a suit
     at law shall be made public except where the interest of juvenile persons otherwise requires
     or the proceedings concern matrimonial disputes or the guardianship of children.

     2. Everyone charged with a criminal offence shall have the right to be presumed innocent
     until proved guilty according to law.

     3. In the determination of any criminal charge against him, everyone shall be entitled to the
     following minimum guarantees, in full equality:

          (a) To be informed promptly and in detail in a language which he understands
          of the nature and cause of the charge against him;

          (b) To have adequate time and facilities for the preparation of his defence and
          to communicate with counsel of his own choosing;

          (c) To be tried without undue delay;

          (d) To be tried in his presence, and to defend himself in person or through
          legal assistance of his own choosing; to be informed, if he does not have
          legal assistance, of this right; and to have legal assistance assigned to him,
          in any case where the interests of justice so require, and without payment by
          him in any such case if he does not have sufficient means to pay for it;

          (e) To examine, or have examined, the witnesses against him and to obtain
          the attendance and examination of witnesses on his behalf under the same
          conditions as witnesses against him;

          (f) To have the free assistance of an interpreter if he cannot understand or
          speak the language used in court;

          (g) Not to be compelled to testify against himself or to confess guilt.

     4. In the case of juvenile persons, the procedure shall be such as will take account of their
     age and the desirability of promoting their rehabilitation.

     5. Everyone convicted of a crime shall have the right to his conviction and sentence being
     reviewed by a higher tribunal according to law.

     6. When a person has by a final decision been convicted of a criminal offence and when
     subsequently his conviction has been reversed or he has been pardoned on the ground that
     a new or newly discovered fact shows conclusively that there has been a miscarriage of
     justice, the person who has suffered punishment as a result of such conviction shall be
     compensated according to law, unless it is proved that the non-disclosure of the unknown
     fact in time is wholly or partly attributable to him.

     7. No one shall be liable to be tried or punished again for an offence for which he has
     already been finally convicted or acquitted in accordance with the law and penal procedure
     of each country.

Article 15

     1 . No one shall be held guilty of any criminal offence on account of any act or omission
     which did not constitute a criminal offence, under national or international law, at the time
     when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was
     applicable at the time when the criminal offence was committed. If, subsequent to the
     commission of the offence, provision is made by law for the imposition of the lighter
     penalty, the offender shall benefit thereby.

     2. Nothing in this article shall prejudice the trial and punishment of any person for any act
     or omission which, at the time when it was committed, was criminal according to the
     general principles of law recognized by the community of nations.

Article 16

     Everyone shall have the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 17 General comment on its implementation

     1. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his privacy, family,
     home or correspondence, nor to unlawful attacks on his honour and reputation.

     2. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

Article 18 General comment on its implementation

     1. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right
     shall include freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice, and freedom,
     either individually or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his
     religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching.

     2. No one shall be subject to coercion which would impair his freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice.

     3. Freedom to manifest one's religion or beliefs may be subject only to such limitations as
     are prescribed by law and are necessary to protect public safety, order, health, or morals or
     the fundamental rights and freedoms of others. 4. The States Parties to the present
     Covenant undertake to have respect for the liberty of parents and, when applicable, legal
     guardians to ensure the religious and moral education of their children in conformity with
     their own convictions.

Article 19 General comment on its implementation

     1. Everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference.

     2. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to
     seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either
     orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice.

     3. The exercise of the rights provided for in paragraph 2 of this article carries with it special
     duties and responsibilities. It may therefore be subject to certain restrictions, but these
     shall only be such as are provided by law and are necessary:

          (a) For respect of the rights or reputations of others;

          (b) For the protection of national security or of public order (ordre public), or of
          public health or morals.

Article 20 General comment on its implementation

     1. Any propaganda for war shall be prohibited by law.

     2. Any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to
     discrimination, hostility or violence shall be prohibited by law.

Article 21

     The right of peaceful assembly shall be recognized. No restrictions may be placed on the
     exercise of this right other than those imposed in conformity with the law and which are
     necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security or public safety,
     public order (ordre public), the protection of public health or morals or the protection of the
     rights and freedoms of others.

Article 22

     1. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of association with others, including the right to
     form and join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

     2. No restrictions may be placed on the exercise of this right other than those which are
     prescribed by law and which are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of
     national security or public safety, public order (ordre public), the protection of public health
     or morals or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others. This article shall not
     prevent the imposition of lawful restrictions on members of the armed forces and of the
     police in their exercise of this right.

     3. Nothing in this article shall authorize States Parties to the International Labour
     Organisation Convention of 1948 concerning Freedom of Association and Protection of the
     Right to Organize to take legislative measures which would prejudice, or to apply the law in
     such a manner as to prejudice, the guarantees provided for in that Convention.

Article 23 General comment on its implementation

     1. The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to
     protection by society and the State.

     2. The right of men and women of marriageable age to marry and to found a family shall be
     recognized.

     3. No marriage shall be entered into without the free and full consent of the intending
     spouses.

     4. States Parties to the present Covenant shall take appropriate steps to ensure equality of
     rights and responsibilities of spouses as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
     In the case of dissolution, provision shall be made for the necessary protection of any
     children.

Article 24 General comment on its implementation

     1. Every child shall have, without any discrimination as to race, colour, sex, language,
     religion, national or social origin, property or birth, the right to such measures of protection
     as are required by his status as a minor, on the part of his family, society and the State.

     2. Every child shall be registered immediately after birth and shall have a name.

     3. Every child has the right to acquire a nationality.

Article 25 General comment on its implementation

     Every citizen shall have the right and the opportunity, without any of the distinctions
     mentioned in article 2 and without unreasonable restrictions:

          (a) To take part in the conduct of public affairs, directly or through freely
          chosen representatives;

          (b) To vote and to be elected at genuine periodic elections which shall be by
          universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret ballot, guaranteeing
          the free expression of the will of the electors;

          (c) To have access, on general terms of equality, to public service in his
          country.

Article 26

     All persons are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to the equal
     protection of the law. In this respect, the law shall prohibit any discrimination and guarantee
     to all persons equal and effective protection against discrimination on any ground such as
     race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin,
     property, birth or other status.

Article 27 General comment on its implementation

     In those States in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities exist, persons belonging to
     such minorities shall not be denied the right, in community with the other members of their
     group, to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practise their own religion, or to use their
     own language.

                                   PART IV

Article 28

     1. There shall be established a Human Rights Committee (hereafter referred to in the
     present Covenant as the Committee). It shall consist of eighteen members and shall carry
     out the functions hereinafter provided.

     2. The Committee shall be composed of nationals of the States Parties to the present
     Covenant who shall be persons of high moral character and recognized competence in the
     field of human rights, consideration being given to the usefulness of the participation of
     some persons having legal experience.

     3. The members of the Committee shall be elected and shall serve in their personal
     capacity.

Article 29

     1 . The members of the Committee shall be elected by secret ballot from a list of persons
     possessing the qualifications prescribed in article 28 and nominated for the purpose by the
     States Parties to the present Covenant.

     2. Each State Party to the present Covenant may nominate not more than two persons.
     These persons shall be nationals of the nominating State.

     3. A person shall be eligible for renomination.

Article 30

     1. The initial election shall be held no later than six months after the date of the entry into
     force of the present Covenant.

     2. At least four months before the date of each election to the Committee, other than an
     election to fill a vacancy declared in accordance with article 34, the Secretary-General of
     the United Nations shall address a written invitation to the States Parties to the present
     Covenant to submit their nominations for membership of the Committee within three
     months.

     3. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall prepare a list in alphabetical order of
     all the persons thus nominated, with an indication of the States Parties which have
     nominated them, and shall submit it to the States Parties to the present Covenant no later
     than one month before the date of each election.

     4. Elections of the members of the Committee shall be held at a meeting of the States
     Parties to the present Covenant convened by the Secretary General of the United Nations
     at the Headquarters of the United Nations. At that meeting, for which two thirds of the
     States Parties to the present Covenant shall constitute a quorum, the persons elected to
     the Committee shall be those nominees who obtain the largest number of votes and an
     absolute majority of the votes of the representatives of States Parties present and voting.

Article 31

     1. The Committee may not include more than one national of the same State.

     2. In the election of the Committee, consideration shall be given to equitable geographical
     distribution of membership and to the representation of the different forms of civilization and
     of the principal legal systems.

Article 32

     1. The members of the Committee shall be elected for a term of four years. They shall be
     eligible for re-election if renominated. However, the terms of nine of the members elected at
     the first election shall expire at the end of two years; immediately after the first election, the
     names of these nine members shall be chosen by lot by the Chairman of the meeting
     referred to in article 30, paragraph 4.

     2. Elections at the expiry of office shall be held in accordance with the preceding articles of
     this part of the present Covenant.

Article 33

     1. If, in the unanimous opinion of the other members, a member of the Committee has
     ceased to carry out his functions for any cause other than absence of a temporary
     character, the Chairman of the Committee shall notify the Secretary-General of the United
     Nations, who shall then declare the seat of that member to be vacant.

     2. In the event of the death or the resignation of a member of the Committee, the Chairman
     shall immediately notify the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who shall declare the
     seat vacant from the date of death or the date on which the resignation takes effect.

Article 34

     1. When a vacancy is declared in accordance with article 33 and if the term of office of the
     member to be replaced does not expire within six months of the declaration of the vacancy,
     the Secretary-General of the United Nations shall notify each of the States Parties to the
     present Covenant, which may within two months submit nominations in accordance with
     article 29 for the purpose of filling the vacancy.

     2. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall prepare a list in alphabetical order of
     the persons thus nominated and shall submit it to the States Parties to the present
     Covenant. The election to fill the vacancy shall then take place in accordance with the
     relevant provisions of this part of the present Covenant.

     3. A member of the Committee elected to fill a vacancy declared in accordance with article
     33 shall hold office for the remainder of the term of the member who vacated the seat on the
     Committee under the provisions of that article.

Article 35

     The members of the Committee shall, with the approval of the General Assembly of the
     United Nations, receive emoluments from United Nations resources on such terms and
     conditions as the General Assembly may decide, having regard to the importance of the
     Committee's responsibilities.

Article 36

     The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall provide the necessary staff and facilities
     for the effective performance of the functions of the Committee under the present Covenant.

Article 37

     1. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall convene the initial meeting of the
     Committee at the Headquarters of the United Nations.

     2. After its initial meeting, the Committee shall meet at such times as shall be provided in
     its rules of procedure.

     3. The Committee shall normally meet at the Headquarters of the United Nations or at the
     United Nations Office at Geneva.

Article 38

     Every member of the Committee shall, before taking up his duties, make a solemn
     declaration in open committee that he will perform his functions impartially and
     conscientiously.

Article 39

     1. The Committee shall elect its officers for a term of two years. They may be re-elected.

     2. The Committee shall establish its own rules of procedure, but these rules shall provide,
     inter alia, that:

          (a) Twelve members shall constitute a quorum;

          (b) Decisions of the Committee shall be made by a majority vote of the
          members present.

Article 40

     1. The States Parties to the present Covenant undertake to submit reports on the
     measures they have adopted which give effect to the rights recognized herein and on the
     progress made in the enjoyment of those rights:

          (a) Within one year of the entry into force of the present Covenant for the
          States Parties concerned;

          (b) Thereafter whenever the Committee so requests.

     2. All reports shall be submitted to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who shall
     transmit them to the Committee for consideration. Reports shall indicate the factors and
     difficulties, if any, affecting the implementation of the present Covenant.

     3. The Secretary-General of the United Nations may, after consultation with the Committee,
     transmit to the specialized agencies concerned copies of such parts of the reports as may
     fall within their field of competence.

     4. The Committee shall study the reports submitted by the States Parties to the present
     Covenant. It shall transmit its reports, and such general comments as it may consider
     appropriate, to the States Parties. The Committee may also transmit to the Economic and
     Social Council these comments along with the copies of the reports it has received from
     States Parties to the present Covenant.

     5. The States Parties to the present Covenant may submit to the Committee observations
     on any comments that may be made in accordance with paragraph 4 of this article.

Article 41 General comment on its implementation

     1. A State Party to the present Covenant may at any time declare under this article that it
     recognizes the competence of the Committee to receive and consider communications to
     the effect that a State Party claims that another State Party is not fulfilling its obligations
     under the present Covenant. Communications under this article may be received and
     considered only if submitted by a State Party which has made a declaration recognizing in
     regard to itself the competence of the Committee. No communication shall be received by
     the Committee if it concerns a State Party which has not made such a declaration.
     Communications received under this article shall be dealt with in accordance with the
     following procedure:

          (a) If a State Party to the present Covenant considers that another State
          Party is not giving effect to the provisions of the present Covenant, it may, by
          written communication, bring the matter to the attention of that State Party.
          Within three months after the receipt of the communication the receiving
          State shall afford the State which sent the communication an explanation, or
          any other statement in writing clarifying the matter which should include, to
          the extent possible and pertinent, reference to domestic procedures and
          remedies taken, pending, or available in the matter;

          (b) If the matter is not adjusted to the satisfaction of both States Parties
          concerned within six months after the receipt by the receiving State of the
          initial communication, either State shall have the right to refer the matter to
          the Committee, by notice given to the Committee and to the other State;

          (c) The Committee shall deal with a matter referred to it only after it has
          ascertained that all available domestic remedies have been invoked and
          exhausted in the matter, in conformity with the generally recognized
          principles of international law. This shall not be the rule where the application
          of the remedies is unreasonably prolonged;

          (d) The Committee shall hold closed meetings when examining
          communications under this article;

          (e) Subject to the provisions of subparagraph (c), the Committee shall make
          available its good offices to the States Parties concerned with a view to a
          friendly solution of the matter on the basis of respect for human rights and
          fundamental freedoms as recognized in the present Covenant;

          (f) In any matter referred to it, the Committee may call upon the States
          Parties concerned, referred to in subparagraph (b), to supply any relevant
          information;

          (g) The States Parties concerned, referred to in subparagraph (b), shall have
          the right to be represented when the matter is being considered in the
          Committee and to make submissions orally and/or in writing;

          (h) The Committee shall, within twelve months after the date of receipt of
          notice under subparagraph (b), submit a report:

               (i) If a solution within the terms of subparagraph (e) is reached,
               the Committee shall confine its report to a brief statement of
               the facts and of the solution reached;

               (ii) If a solution within the terms of subparagraph (e) is not
               reached, the Committee shall confine its report to a brief
               statement of the facts; the written submissions and record of
               the oral submissions made by the States Parties concerned
               shall be attached to the report. In every matter, the report shall
               be communicated to the States Parties concerned.

          2. The provisions of this article shall come into force when ten States Parties
          to the present Covenant have made declarations under paragraph I of this
          article. Such declarations shall be deposited by the States Parties with the
          Secretary-General of the United Nations, who shall transmit copies thereof to
          the other States Parties. A declaration may be withdrawn at any time by
          notification to the Secretary-General. Such a withdrawal shall not prejudice
          the consideration of any matter which is the subject of a communication
          already transmitted under this article; no further communication by any State
          Party shall be received after the notification of withdrawal of the declaration
          has been received by the Secretary-General, unless the State Party
          concerned has made a new declaration.

Article 42

     1.

          (a) If a matter referred to the Committee in accordance with article 41 is not
          resolved to the satisfaction of the States Parties concerned, the Committee
          may, with the prior consent of the States Parties concerned, appoint an ad
          hoc Conciliation Commission (hereinafter referred to as the Commission). The
          good offices of the Commission shall be made available to the States Parties
          concerned with a view to an amicable solution of the matter on the basis of
          respect for the present Covenant;

          (b) The Commission shall consist of five persons acceptable to the States
          Parties concerned. If the States Parties concerned fail to reach agreement
          within three months on all or part of the composition of the Commission, the
          members of the Commission concerning whom no agreement has been
          reached shall be elected by secret ballot by a two-thirds majority vote of the
          Committee from among its members.

     2. The members of the Commission shall serve in their personal capacity. They shall not be
     nationals of the States Parties concerned, or of a State not Party to the present Covenant,
     or of a State Party which has not made a declaration under article 41.

     3. The Commission shall elect its own Chairman and adopt its own rules of procedure.

     4. The meetings of the Commission shall normally be held at the Headquarters of the
     United Nations or at the United Nations Office at Geneva. However, they may be held at
     such other convenient places as the Commission may determine in consultation with the
     Secretary-General of the United Nations and the States Parties concerned.

     5. The secretariat provided in accordance with article 36 shall also service the commissions
     appointed under this article.

     6. The information received and collated by the Committee shall be made available to the
     Commission and the Commission may call upon the States Parties concerned to supply
     any other relevant information. 7. When the Commission has fully considered the matter,
     but in any event not later than twelve months after having been seized of the matter, it shall
     submit to the Chairman of the Committee a report for communication to the States Parties
     concerned:

          (a) If the Commission is unable to complete its consideration of the matter
          within twelve months, it shall confine its report to a brief statement of the
          status of its consideration of the matter;

          (b) If an amicable solution to the matter on tie basis of respect for human
          rights as recognized in the present Covenant is reached, the Commission
          shall confine its report to a brief statement of the facts and of the solution
          reached;

          (c) If a solution within the terms of subparagraph (b) is not reached, the
          Commission's report shall embody its findings on all questions of fact relevant
          to the issues between the States Parties concerned, and its views on the
          possibilities of an amicable solution of the matter. This report shall also
          contain the written submissions and a record of the oral submissions made
          by the States Parties concerned;

          (d) If the Commission's report is submitted under subparagraph (c), the
          States Parties concerned shall, within three months of the receipt of the
          report, notify the Chairman of the Committee whether or not they accept the
          contents of the report of the Commission.

     8. The provisions of this article are without prejudice to the responsibilities of the
     Committee under article 41.

     9. The States Parties concerned shall share equally all the expenses of the members of
     the Commission in accordance with estimates to be provided by the Secretary-General of
     the United Nations.

     10. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall be empowered to pay the expenses
     of the members of the Commission, if necessary, before reimbursement by the States
     Parties concerned, in accordance with paragraph 9 of this article.

Article 43

     The members of the Committee, and of the ad hoc conciliation commissions which may be
     appointed under article 42, shall be entitled to the facilities, privileges and immunities of
     experts on mission for the United Nations as laid down in the relevant sections of the
     Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations.

Article 44

     The provisions for the implementation of the present Covenant shall apply without prejudice
     to the procedures prescribed in the field of human rights by or under the constituent
     instruments and the conventions of the United Nations and of the specialized agencies and
     shall not prevent the States Parties to the present Covenant from having recourse to other
     procedures for settling a dispute in accordance with general or special international
     agreements in force between them.

Article 45

     The Committee shall submit to the General Assembly of the United Nations, through the
     Economic and Social Council, an annual report on its activities.

                                   PART V

Article 46 .

     Nothing in the present Covenant shall be interpreted as impairing the provisions of the
     Charter of the United Nations and of the constitutions of the specialized agencies which
     define the respective responsibilities of the various organs of the United Nations and of the
     specialized agencies in regard to the matters dealt with in the present Covenant.

Article 47

     Nothing in the present Covenant shall be interpreted as impairing the inherent right of all
     peoples to enjoy and utilize fully and freely their natural wealth and resources.

                                   PART VI

Article 48

     1. The present Covenant is open for signature by any State Member of the United Nations
     or member of any of its specialized agencies, by any State Party to the Statute of the
     International Court of Justice, and by any other State which has been invited by the General
     Assembly of the United Nations to become a Party to the present Covenant.

     2. The present Covenant is subject to ratification. Instruments of ratification shall be
     deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

     3. The present Covenant shall be open to accession by any State referred to in paragraph 1
     of this article.

     4. Accession shall be effected by the deposit of an instrument of accession with the
     Secretary-General of the United Nations.

     5. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall inform all States which have signed
     this Covenant or acceded to it of the deposit of each instrument of ratification or accession.

Article 49

     1. The present Covenant shall enter into force three months after the date of the deposit
     with the Secretary-General of the United Nations of the thirty-fifth instrument of ratification
     or instrument of accession.

     2. For each State ratifying the present Covenant or acceding to it after the deposit of the
     thirty-fifth instrument of ratification or instrument of accession, the present Covenant shall
     enter into force three months after the date of the deposit of its own instrument of
     ratification or instrument of accession.

Article 50

     The provisions of the present Covenant shall extend to all parts of federal States without
     any limitations or exceptions.

Article 51

     1. Any State Party to the present Covenant may propose an amendment and file it with the
     Secretary-General of the United Nations. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall
     thereupon communicate any proposed amendments to the States Parties to the present
     Covenant with a request that they notify him whether they favour a conference of States
     Parties for the purpose of considering and voting upon the proposals. In the event that at
     least one third of the States Parties favours such a conference, the Secretary-General shall
     convene the conference under the auspices of the United Nations. Any amendment
     adopted by a majority of the States Parties present and voting at the conference shall be
     submitted to the General Assembly of the United Nations for approval.

     2. Amendments shall come into force when they have been approved by the General
     Assembly of the United Nations and accepted by a two-thirds majority of the States Parties
     to the present Covenant in accordance with their respective constitutional processes. 3.
     When amendments come into force, they shall be binding on those States Parties which
     have accepted them, other States Parties still being bound by the provisions of the present
     Covenant and any earlier amendment which they have accepted.

Article 52

     Irrespective of the notifications made under article 48, paragraph 5, the Secretary-General
     of the United Nations shall inform all States referred to in paragraph I of the same article of
     the following particulars:

          (a) Signatures, ratifications and accessions under article 48;

          (b) The date of the entry into force of the present Covenant under article 49
          and the date of the entry into force of any amendments under article 51.

Article 53

     1. The present Covenant, of which the Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish
     texts are equally authentic, shall be deposited in the archives of the United Nations.

     2. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall transmit certified copies of the present
     Covenant to all States referred to in article 48.