MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Leila de Lima has urged the Department of Foreign Affairs to consider adherence to and adoption of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (OP-ICESSR). The senator filed Senate Resolution 898 to adopt the covenant, which provides for a communications procedure allowing victims of rights violations to present complaints before a committee on economic, social and cultural rights. “Certain individuals and sectors are vulnerable to civil and political rights violations given their economic, social, and cultural conditions,” De Lima said in her resolution. The ICESCR and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, together with the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, form the International Bill of Rights. Two years ago, an 18-member team from the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights visited the Philippines to conduct a review of the human rights situation in the country.

Source: Philippine Star September 26, 2018 02:15 UTC