联合国人权高专办网站2月6日讯 随着乌拉圭成为第十个批准《经济社会文化权利国际公约任择议定书》的国家，经济社会文化权利受侵害者即将能够在联合国国际人权条约体系下获得救济、寻求正义。

2月5日，乌拉圭常驻联合国代表何塞·路易斯·坎塞拉（José Luis Cancela）在纽约联合国总部交存该国批准书。至此，已有阿根廷、玻利维亚、波斯尼亚和黑塞哥维那、厄瓜多尔、萨尔瓦多、蒙古国、葡萄牙、斯洛伐克、西班牙、乌拉圭十国批准该议定书。

议定书第十八条规定，本议定书在第十份批准书或加入书交存联合国秘书长之日起三个月后生效。

乌拉圭常驻联合国代表（左）与联合国主管人权事务的助理秘书长伊万·西蒙诺维奇（Ivan Šimonovi?） 

另据凤凰卫视2月7日讯，联合国人权高级专员皮莱6号发表声明，对《经济社会文化权利国际公约任择议定书》即将于5月5号正式生效表示祝贺。她强调，这项议定书将首次使个人可以在权利受到侵犯时在国际领域寻求公义。

《经济社会文化权利国际公约任择议定书》在乌拉圭签署批准之后，已经满足公约获得10国批准即可生效的条件，将成为正式的国际文书。人权高专皮莱6号通过声明表示，公约任择议定书的生效，是一个很大的成就，这将使处于缔约国法律管辖下的个人，在自己的经济社会文化权利受到侵害时，可以在国际领域寻求正义。

《经济社会文化权利国际公约》于1966年12月16号通过，是最有影响力的国际人权文书之一。1993年的世界人权大会要求起草一份建立个人申诉机制的任择议定书。议定书的谈判于2004年展开，2008年在联大通过。

目前，《经济社会文化权利国际公约》已有160个缔约国，但只有10个国家批准了公约的任择议定书。皮莱强烈呼吁尚未批准议定书的国家迅速采取行动。 

>> 链接：联合国人权高专声明全文

Statement by Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights at the deposit of the 10th ratification instrument, by Uruguay, of the Optional Protocol of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, delivered by Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ivan Šimonovi?

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a pleasure to warmly welcome the deposit of the 10th ratification instrument, by Uruguay, of the Optional Protocol of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The entry into force of this instrument adopted by the UN General Assembly on 10 December 2008, the Human Rights Day, will therefore take place in three months, on 5 May 2013.

More than sixty years ago, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights promised universality, indivisibility and equal value of all human rights for all people.  Its drafters wisely chose not to rank rights.  On the contrary, they recognized that civil and political rights go hand in hand with economic, social and cultural rights. 

Yet, for far too long economic, social and cultural rights were not given the same attention and status in law, lagging behind on means for promotion and protection, as well as resources, when compared to civil and political rights.  This historic gap in the protection of economic, social and cultural rights was finally addressed with the adoption of the Optional Protocol. The Optional Protocol will now enable victims to seek justice for violations of their economic, social and cultural rights at the international level, through the submission of communications before the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Thus, it represents a milestone in the international human rights system. The individual communications procedures mirrors those already existing under the mirroring already existing communications procedures under the ICCPR, CEDAW, CPRD, CAT, CERD and CED. It will also enable the Committee to conduct inquiries if it receives reliable information indicating grave or systematic violations by a State party of any of the economic, social and cultural rights under the Covenant.

In many national jurisdictions, the introduction of legal remedies in cases of violation of economic, social and cultural rights has clearly benefited right-holders.  The entry into force of Optional Protocol will allow for the development of jurisprudence that will clarify the scope of application of these rights and offer further guidance to States parties and national courts to devise adequate remedies for victims.

With the entry into force of the Optional Protocol, the United Nations has now been able to come full circle on the normative architecture envisaged by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  I strongly encourage other State parties to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to ratify the Optional Protocol and ensure the widest possible protection of economic, social and cultural rights, on an equal footing with civil and political rights.