Statement by the Deputy Permanent Representative of Argentina to the United Nations, Minister Mateo Estremé.

July 13, 2016

 

Dear co-chairs, colleagues,

Argentina welcomes this opportunity to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the third anniversary of the entry into force of the Optional Protocol to the said instrument.

In this regards, I would like to specially thank the Permanente Missions of Uruguay and Portugal to the United Nations for giving us the chance to exchange views on the interconnections between the Covenant and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
While implementing the 2030 Agenda, Argentina considers crucial keeping always a human rights perspective, having into account the commitment made by our leaders of leaving no one behind.

It is from the clear conviction of interdependence, indivisibility and interrelation of all human rights that we have to build up a more egalitarian world, where the benefits of development reach all people in need, granting the full protection foreseen by the International Human Rights Law instruments.

In this sense, the Covenant should become a guiding light in the actions and programs carried out by Governments in the framework of the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda.
The idea of progressive realization of the economic, social and cultural rights cannot be used as an argument for the indefinite postponement of those rights. As the Committee has stated in several opportunities, some of those rights are immediate rights which lack of upholding is causing severe consequences in the more vulnerable members of our societies.

Dear colleagues,

Before ending, as being from one of the countries which first ratify the Optional Protocol in 2011, I would like to stress, once more, the importance of providing to our citizens the accessibility to an international complaint mechanism for individuals, which contributes to the full enjoyment and effective protection of economic, social and cultural rights.
We hope that new ratifications will follow, thereby contributing to a better protection of all human rights in all regions of the world.

Thank you.