Forum on economic, social and cultural rights : the Social Forum.

The Commission on Human Rights,

Taking note of Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities resolution 1998/14 of 20 August 1998,

Bearing in mind its fundamental role in the defence of human rights and its specific mandate in the prevention of situations relating to the full enjoyment of those rights,

Decides that the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities should further review, in the light of the ongoing discussions by the Commission on its working methods, the establishment of a forum on economic, social and cultural rights, to be called the Social Forum, to meet during its annual sessions with the following objectives:

(a) To exchange information on the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights and its relationship to the process of globalization;

(b) To follow up on the relationship between income distribution, the feminization of poverty and human rights at both the international and national levels;

(c) To follow up on situations of poverty and destitution in the world;

(d) To analyse and discuss possible guidelines on violations of economic, social and cultural rights;

(e) To propose legal standards and initiatives, guidelines and other recommendations to be considered by the Commission on Human Rights, the open-ended working group on the right to development established by the Commission at its fifty-fourth session, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the specialized agencies and other entities of the United Nations system.

56^th meeting
27 April 1999

[Adopted without a vote. See chap. XVI.]