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 right to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas carries with it special duties and responsibilities and may therefore be subject to certain penalties, liabilities, and restrictions, but these shall be such only as are provided by law and are necessary for the protection of national security, public order, safety, health or morals, or of the rights, freedoms or reputations of others.

Article 15

The right of peaceful assembly shall be recognized. No restrictions shall be placed on the exercise of this right other than those imposed in conformity with the law and which are necessary to ensure national security, public order, the protection of health or morals or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.

Article 16

1. The right of association shall be recognized.

2. No restrictions shall be placed on the exercise of this right other than those prescribed by law and which are necessary to ensure national security, public order, the protection of health or morals or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.

3. Nothing in this article shall authorize States Parties to the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize Convention, 1948, 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 17

All are equal before the law; all shall be accorded equal protection of the law without 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 18

1. Nothing in this 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 this Covenant.

2. Nothing in this Covenant may be interpreted as limiting or derogating from any of the rights and freedoms which may be guaranteed under the laws of any Contracting State or any conventions to which it is a party.

PART III

[Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights]

Article 19

The States parties to the present covenant,

1. bearing in mind the link between the rights and liberties recognized and defined above, and the economic, social and cultural rights proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;

2. resolved to combat the scourges, such as famine, disease, poverty, the feeling of insecurity and ignorance, which take toll of or degrade men, and prevent the free development of their personality;

3. resolved to strive to ensure that every human being shall obtain the food, clothing, shelter essential for his livelihood and well-being, and shall achieve an adequate standard of living and a continuous improvement of his living material and spiritual conditions;

4. undertake to take steps, individually and through international co-operation, to the maximum of their available resources with a view to achieving progressively the full realization of the rights recognized in this part of the present Covenant.

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Article 20

Work being the basis of all human endeavor, the States Parties to the Covenant recognize the right to work, that is to say, the fundamental right of everyone to the opportunity, if he so desires, to gain his living by work which he freely accepts.

Article 21

The States Parties to the Covenant recognize the right of everyone to just and favourable conditions of work, including:

(a) safe and healthy working conditions;

(b) minimum remuneration which provides all workers:

(i) with fair wages and equal pay for equal work, and

(ii) a decent living for themselves and their families; and

(c) reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.

Article 22

The States Parties to the Covenant recognize the right of everyone to social security.

Article 23

The States Parties to the Covenant recognize the right of everyone to adequate housing.

Article 24

The States Parties to the Covenant recognize the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living and the continuous improvement of living conditions.

Article 25

The States Parties to the Covenant recognize the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest standard of health obtainable. With a view to implementing and safeguarding this right each State party hereto undertakes to provide legislative measures to promote and protect health and, in particular:

(i) to reduce infant mortality and provide for healthy development of the child;

(ii) to improve nutrition, housing, sanitation, recreation, economic and working conditions and other aspects of environmental hygiene; (iii) to control epidemic, endemic and other diseases;

(iv) to provide conditions which would assure the right of all to medical service and medical attention in the event of sickness.

Article 26

The States Parties to the Covenant recognize that:

(1) special protection should be accorded to maternity and motherhood; and

(2) special measures of protection should be taken on behalf of children and young persons, and that in particular they should not be required to do work likely to hamper their normal development.

Article 27

The States Parties to the Covenant recognize the right of everyone, in conformity with Article 16, to form and join local, national, and international trade unions of his choice for the protection of his economic and social interests.

Article 28

The States Parties to the Covenant recognize:

1. the right of everyone to education;

2. that educational facilities shall be accessible to all in accordance with the principle of non-discrimination enunciated in paragraph 1 of Article 1 of this Covenant;

3. that primary education shall be compulsory and available free to all; 4. that secondary education, in its different forms, including technical and professional secondary education, shall be generally available and shall be made progressively free;

5. that higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit and shall be made progressively free;

6. that fundamental education for those persons who have not received or completed the whole period of their primary education shall be encouraged as far as possible;

7. that education shall encourage the full development of the human personality, the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and the suppression of all incitement to racial and other hatred. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial, ethnic or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace and enable all persons to participate effectively in a free society;

8. the obligations of States to establish a system of free and compulsory primary education shall not be deemed incompatible with the liberty of parents to choose for their children schools other than those established by the State which conform to minimum standards laid down by the State;

9. in the exercise of any functions which the State assumes in the field of education it shall have respect for the liberty of parents to ensure the religious education of their children in conformity with their own convictions.

Article 29

Each State party to the Covenant which, at the time of becoming a party to this Covenant, has not been able to secure in its metropolitan territory or other territories under its jurisdiction compulsory primary education, free of charge, undertakes, within two years, to work out and adopt a detailed plan of action for the progressive implementation, within a reasonable number of years, to be fixed in the plan, of the principle of compulsory primary education free of charge for all.

Article 30

The States parties to the Covenant undertake to encourage by all appropriate means the conservation, the development and the diffusion of science and culture.

They recognize that it is one of their principal aims to ensure conditions which will permit everyone:

1. to take part in cultural life;

2. to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications.

Article 31

The States parties to the Covenant recognize the equal right of men and women to the enjoyment of all economic, social and cultural rights, and particularly of those set forth in this Covenant.

Article 32

The States Parties to the Covenant recognize that in the enjoyment of those rights provided by the State in conformity with this Part of the Covenant, the State may subject such rights only to such limitations as are determined by law only in so far as this may be compatible with the nature of these rights and solely for the purpose of promoting the general welfare in a democratic society.

PART IV

[The implementation machinery set forth in this Part of the Covenant was initially drafted by the Commission at its March-May 1950 session with respect to the civil and political rights in Parts I and II. Due to the lack of time at its April-May 1951 session, the Commission did not decide whether this implementation machinery should also apply to the economic, social and cultural rights in Part III. The discussions in the April-May 1951 session indicated, however, wide sentiment in the Commission against the applicability of this Part of the Covenant to the economic, social and cultural rights.]

Article 33

1. With a view to the implementation of the provisions of the International Covenant on Human Rights, there shall be set up a Human Rights Committee,

hereinafter referred to as "the Committee", composed of nine members with the functions hereinafter provided.

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

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

Article 34

1. The members of the Committee shall be elected from a list of persons possessing the qualifications prescribed in Article 33 and specially nominated for that purpose by the States Parties to the Covenant.

2. Each State shall nominate at least two and not more than four persons. These persons may be nationals of the nominating State or of any other State Party to the Covenant.

3. Nominations shall remain valid until new nominations are made for the purpose of the next election under Article 39. A person shall be eligible to be renominated.

Article 35

At least three months before the date of each election to the Committee, the Secretary-General of the United Nations shall address a written request to the States Parties to the Covenant inviting them, if they have not already submitted their nominations, to submit them within two months.

Article 36

The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall prepare a list in alphabetical order of all the persons thus nominated, and submit it to the International Court of Justice and to the States Parties to the Covenant.

Article 37

1. The Secretary-General of the United Nations, on behalf of the States Parties to the Covenant, shall request the International Court of Justice to elect the members of the Committee from the list referred to in Article 36 and in accordance with the conditions set out below.

2. On receipt of the list from the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the President of the International Court of Justice shall fix the time of elections for members of the Committee.

Article 38

1. No more than one national of any State may be a member of the Committee at any time.

2. In the election of the Committee consideration shall be given to equitable geographical distribution of membership and to the representation of the main forms of civilization.

The persons elected shall be those who obtain the largest number of votes and an absolute majority of the votes of all the members of the Court.

3. The quorum of nine laid down in Article 25, paragraph 3, of the Statute of the Court shall apply for the holding of the elections by the Court.

Article 39

The members of the Committee shall be elected for a term of five years and be eligible for re-election. However, the terms of five of the members elected at the first election shall expire at the end of two years. Immediately after the first election the names of the members whose terms expire at the end of the initial period of two years shall be chosen by lot by the President of the International Court of Justice.

Article 40

1. Should a vacancy arise, the provisions of Articles 35, 36, 37 and 38 shall apply to the election.

2. A member of the Committee elected to fill a vacancy shall, if his predecessor's term of office has not expired, hold office for the remainder of that term.

Article 41

A member of the Committee shall remain in office until his successor has been elected; but if the Committee has, prior to the election of his successor, begun to consider a case, he shall continue to act in that case and his successor shall not act in that case.

Article 42

The resignation of a member of the Committee shall be addressed to the Chairman of the Committee through the Secretary of the Committee who shall immediately notify the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the International Court of Justice.

Article 43

The members of the Committee and the Secretary when engaged on the busi ness of the Committee shall enjoy diplomatic privileges and immunities.

Article 44

1. The Secretary of the Committee shall be appointed by the International Court of Justice from a list of three names submitted by the Committee.

2. The candidate obtaining the largest number of votes and an absolute majority of the votes of all the members of the Court shall be declared elected.

3. The quorum of nine laid down in Article 25, paragraph 3, of the Statute of the Court shall apply for the holding of the election by the Court.

Article 45

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

Article 46

The Committee shall, at its initial meeting, elect its Chairman and Vice-Chairman for the period of one year.

Article 47

The Committee shall establish its own rules of procedure, but these rules shall provide that:

(a) Seven members shall constitute a quorum;

(b) The work of the Committee shall proceed by a majority vote of the members present; in the event of an equality of votes the Chairman shall have a casting vote;

(c) All States parties to the Covenant having an interest in any matter referred to the Committee under Article 52 shall have the right to make submissions to the Committee in writing.

The States referred to in Article 52 shall further have the right to be represented at the hearings of the Committee and to make submissions orally.

(d) The Committee shall hold hearings and other meetings in closed session.

Article 48

1. After its initial meeting the Committee shall meet

(a) at such times as it deems necessary;

(b) when any matter is referred to it under Article 52;

(c) when convened by its Chairman or at the request of not less than five of its members.

2. The Committee shall meet at the permanent headquarters of the United Nations or at Geneva.

Article 49

The Secretary of the Committee shall attend its meetings, make all necessary arrangements, in accordance with the Committee's instructions, for the preparation and conduct of the work, and carry out any other duties assigned to him by the Committee.