60 Years of the ICCPR and ICESCR: Are the Covenants Still Fit for Today’s Human Rights Challenges?

Sixty years after the adoption of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), the world has changed profoundly. Climate change, growing inequalities, shrinking civic space, digital technologies and new forms of surveillance present challenges that could hardly have been foreseen in 1966. Against this backdrop, this side event brought together experts from the two treaty bodies, civil society and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to discuss whether the Covenants remain fit for today's human rights challenges. The event was co-organised by FES Geneva with the Centre for Civil and Political Rights (CCPR Centre), OHCHR, the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR), the Geneva Human Rights Hub (GHRH) and the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations Office.

The discussion, moderated by Roland Chauville, Director of the CCPR Centre, explored how the treaty bodies have kept the Covenants dynamic and responsive, and how their interpretation can continue to address emerging challenges. Participants also discussed the growing pressures on the treaty body system itself and what is needed to ensure that the Covenants remain effective instruments of human rights protection.

Opening the event, Céline Brugger, Legal Advisor at the Secretariat for Economic Affairs of the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research, highlighted Switzerland's long-standing engagement with both treaty bodies since its accession to the Covenants in 1992. She pointed to the practical challenges of periodic reporting in a federal country, where many rights are implemented at cantonal and municipal level. At the same time, she stressed the value of the review process, including for civil society, and called for more efficient reporting through digital tools and coordinated reviews by the two treaty bodies.

Prof. Changrok Soh, Chair of the Human Rights Committee (CCPR), argued that the Covenants are not only still relevant, but have become even more important in today's world. He highlighted the evolution towards a stronger focus on individuals and the development of states' obligations from refraining of committing human rights violations to actively protecting people, including from violations by private actors. He pointed to the role of General Comments in developing and consolidating this interpretation, including in relation to digital spaces and climate change. While not legally binding, they are authoritative interpretations whose influence can increasingly be seen in national and international courts.

Likewise, Ambassador Preeti Saran, Chair of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR), highlighted the importance of the Optional Protocols in creating additional pathways for individuals and civil society to engage with the committees by submitting individual communications when their rights under the treaties have been violated and domestic remedies have been exhausted. Looking at the future of the treaty bodies, she also stressed the need for a harmonised treaty body system and for overall implementation of the commitments made.

Prof. Philip Alston, international human rights law expert and former Chair of the CESCR, drew attention to the implications of climate change and artificial intelligence for human rights. Climate change affects not only economic, social and cultural rights, but also civil and political rights through displacement, migration and potential restrictions on civic freedoms. Likewise, the broader impact by AI on economies, societies, human interaction and human dignity requires greater attention. Alston also called for a more integrated understanding of the two Covenants, reflecting the interdependence of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights.

From the perspective of civil society, Ana María Rodríguez Valencia of the Colombian Commission of Jurists (CCJ) highlighted how the Covenants can serve as practical tools for human rights protection at the national level. In Colombia, the Covenants form part of the constitutional framework, and recommendations and jurisprudence from the treaty bodies have been used by national institutions and courts. She highlighted three examples from Colombia: 

• The reform of Colombia’s state-of-emergency framework in line with Human Rights Committee standards;
• The assessment of free trade agreements against CESCR standards; 
• And using the Human Rights Committee’s guidance on peaceful protest during the 2020–2021 protests.

At the same time, Rodríguez Valencia raised concerns about growing delays in individual communications and lengthy periods between periodic reviews, which can make effective follow-up more difficult for victims, governments and civil society.

Antti Korkeakivi of OHCHR addressed the impact of the current financial crisis on the treaty body system. Reduced resources have already led to cuts in meeting time, longer review cycles and delays in individual communications. While the treaty bodies have adapted their working methods, Korkeakivi stressed that there are limits to what can be achieved without adequate and predictable resources. He also underlined the continuing importance of universal ratification of the two Covenants and timely reporting by states.

The discussion closed with a call for renewed commitment to the treaty body system. Participants stressed that, beyond the important work being done through the Covenants and committees, the deeper challenge is building broader and more sustained support for human rights beyond Geneva and its traditional UN constituencies. Ensuring the continued impact of the Covenants for the next 60 years will depend on how successful this mobilisation is. 

Further marking the 60^th anniversary of the ICCPR, FES Geneva co-sponsored an open-air exhibition on Quai Wilson in July 2026. During the 63^rd session of the Human Rights Council, from 17 to 23 September, the exhibition was also displayed at the Palais des Nations.