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Right to Science Resources: International Human Rights Documents

International human rights instruments
General Comments of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Relevant resolutions
Other official UN documents
Meeting materials

International human human rights instruments

Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights, 2005 (UNESCO) (see in particular Article 15)
English | French | Spanish

International Declaration on Human Genetic Data, 2003 (UNESCO) (see in particular Article 19)
English | French | Spanish

Declaration on the Use of Scientific and Technological Progress in the Interest of Peace and for the Benefit of Mankind, 1975
English | French | Spanish

UN Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States, 1974
English

Proclamation of Tehran, International Conference on Human Rights, 1974(see in particular para 18)
English

International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights, 1966 (see in particular article 15)
English | French | Spanish

Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948 (see in particular Article 27)
Arabic | Chinese | English | French | German | Italian | Russian | Spanish | over 350 other languages


General Comments of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

General comment No. 25 to the ICESCR, "On science and economic, social and cultural rights," (Article 15 (1) (b), (2), (3) and (4) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights), 30 April 2020
English

General Comment No. 17 to the ICESCR, “The right of everyone to benefit from the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic productions of which he or she is the author,” (Article 15, paragraph 1(c), of the Covenant), 12 January 2006 (see in particular paragraph 4)
English | French | Spanish

General Comment No. 6 to the ICESCR, “The economic, social and cultural rights of older persons,” 8 December 1995, (see in particular paras 39 and 42)
English


Relevant resolutions

Human Rights Council Resolution. Preventable maternal mortality and morbidity and human rights, UN Doc. A/HRC/11/L.16/Rev.1, 17 June 2009

UN Commission on Human Rights resolution, "Human rights and the environment as part of sustainable development," UN Doc. E/CN.4/RES/2005/60, 20 April 2005
English | French | Spanish

UN Commission on Human Rights resolution, "Human rights and the environment as part of sustainable development," UN Doc. E/CN.4/RES/2003/71, 25 April 2003
English | French | Spanish

Commission on Human Rights Resolution, Human Rights and Bioethics, UN Doc. E/CN.4/RES/2001/71, 25 April 2001
English

Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (2000), “Intellectual Property Rights and Human Rights,” UN Doc. E/CN.4/Sub.2/RES/2000/7, adopted 17 August 2000
English | French | Spanish

UN General Assembly resolution, Human rights and scientific and technological progress, UN Doc. A/RES/48/140, 7 March 1994
Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Russian | Spanish

UN General Assembly resolution, Human rights and scientific and technological progress, UN Doc. A/RES/46/126, 17 December 1991
English


Other official UN documents

UN General Assembly, Note by the Secretary-General, The right to food, UN Doc. A/63/278, 21 October 2008
Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Russian | Spanish

UN General Assembly, Note by the Secretary-General, International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World, 2001-2010, UN Doc. A/63/127, 15 July 2008
Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Russian | Spanish

ECOSOC, Report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Doc. E/2004/89, 30 June 2004
Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Russian | Spanish

UN Commission on Human Rights, Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, Report of the Secretary-General, Intellectual property rights and human rights, UN Doc. E/CN.4/Sub.2/2001/12/Add.1, 3 July 2001
Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Russian | Spanish

UN Commission on Human Rights, Report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, The impact of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights on human rights, UN Doc. E/CN.4/Sub.2/2001/13, 27 June 2001
Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Russian | Spanish

UN Commission on Human Rights, Report of the Secretary-General, Second International Consultation on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights (Geneva, 23-25 September 1996), UN Doc. E/CN.4/1997/37, 20 January 1997
Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Russian | Spanish

UN Commission on Human Rights, Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, Report of the Secretary-General, The impact of the activities and working methods of transnational corporations on the full enjoyment of all human rights, in particular economic, social, and cultural rights and the right to development, bearing in mind existing international guidelines, rules and standards relating to the subject-matter, UN Doc. E/CN.4/Sub.2/1996/12, 2 July 1996
Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Russian | Spanish

UN General Assembly, Report of the Secretary-General, Progressive Development of the Principles and Norms of International Law Relating to the New International Economic Order, UN Doc. A/48/268, 26 July 1993
Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Russian | Spanish    


Meeting materials

UNESCO, Experts’ Meeting on the Right to Enjoy the Benefits of Scientific Progress and its Application, Venice, Italy, 16-17 July 2009

UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, “Summary Record of the 2nd Meeting, Held at the Palais Wilson, Geneva, on Monday, 30 April 2007,” UN Doc. E/C.12/2007/SR.2, 5 October 2007
English | French

UNESCO Experts Meeting on the Right to Enjoy the Benefits of Scientific Progress and its Application, Amsterdam, 7-8 June 2007

UN Commission on Human Rights, “Report of the working group established in accordance with Commission on Human Rights resolution 1995/32 of 3 March 1995 on its tenth session,” UN Doc. E/CN.4/2005/WG.15/2, 1 September 2005
Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Russian | Spanish

Meeting on Priorities for Research to Advance Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Africa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 9-11 March, 2005

Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, 1993 Vienna Conference on Human Rights (see in particular para 11).
English

International Symposium on the Effects on Human Rights of Recent Advances in Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain, 25-28 March 1985