Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 2008
Signed by 45 countries, ratified by 33 countries
| Country | Signature date | Ratification date * | Reservation / Declaration | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Angola
|
Sep 23, 2013 |
- |
Reservation
|
|
 Antigua and Barbuda
|
- |
Jul 3, 2019 |
Reservation
|
|
 Argentina
|
Sep 24, 2009 |
Oct 24, 2011 |
Reservation
Declaration:
On the occasion of its ratification of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Argentine Government recalls that on 3 October 1983 the Argentine Republic rejected the extension of the application of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to the Malvinas Islands, South Georgia Islands and South Sandwich Islands. The Argentine Government recalls that the Malvinas Islands, South Georgia Islands and South Sandwich Islands and the surrounding maritime areas are an integral part of the Argentine national territory and, being illegally occupied by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, are the subject of a sovereignty dispute between the two countries which is recognized by the United Nations and other international organizations. In this connection, the General Assembly of the United Nations has adopted resolutions 2065 (XX), 3160 (XXVIII), 31/49, 37/9, 38/12, 39/6, 40/21, 41/40, 42/19 and 43/25, in which the sovereignty dispute referred to as the “Question of the Malvinas Islands” is recognized and the Governments of the Argentine Republic and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland are urged to resume negotiations in order to find as soon as possible a peaceful and lasting solution to the dispute. Concurrently, the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United Nations has repeatedly affirmed this view. Also, the General Assembly of the Organization of American States adopted, on 24 June 2010, a new pronouncement, in similar terms, on the question. In ratifying the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Argentine Republic does so on the understanding that the system of communications provided for under that instrument does not apply to the right of peoples to self-determination in any context related to sovereignty disputes. |
|
 Armenia
|
Sep 29, 2009 |
Oct 13, 2020 |
- |
|
 Azerbaijan
|
Sep 25, 2009 |
- |
- |
|
 Belgium
|
Sep 24, 2009 |
May 20, 2014 |
- |
|
 Benin
|
Sep 24, 2013 |
- |
- |
|
 Bolivia
|
Feb 12, 2010 |
Jan 13, 2012 |
- |
|
 Bosnia and Herzegovina
|
Jul 12, 2010 |
Jan 18, 2012 |
- |
|
 Cabo Verde
|
Sep 26, 2011 |
Jun 23, 2014 |
- |
|
 Central African Republic
|
- |
Oct 11, 2016 |
Reservation
|
|
 Chile
|
Sep 24, 2009 |
- |
- |
|
 Congo
|
Sep 25, 2009 |
- |
- |
|
 Costa Rica
|
Apr 28, 2011 |
Sep 23, 2014 |
- |
|
 Democratic Republic of the Congo
|
Sep 23, 2010 |
- |
- |
|
 Ecuador
|
Sep 24, 2009 |
Jun 11, 2010 |
- |
|
 El Salvador
|
Sep 25, 2009 |
Sep 20, 2011 |
Reservation
Declarations:
Article 10 With respect to article 10, the Government of the Republic of El Salvador hereby declares that it recognizes the competence of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to receive and consider communications to the effect that a State party claims that another State party is not fulfilling its obligations under the Covenant. Article 11 With respect to article 11, the Government of the Republic of El Salvador hereby declares that it recognizes the competence of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights provided for under the article. |
|
 Fiji
|
- |
Aug 16, 2018 |
Reservation
|
|
 Finland
|
Sep 24, 2009 |
Jan 31, 2014 |
Reservation
Declaration
“The Republic of Finland declares that it recognizes the competence of the committee to receive and consider inter-state communications made against it provided for in article 10 of the Protocol and the competence of the committee concerning an inquiry procedure provided for in article 11 of the Protocol.” |
|
 France
|
Dec 11, 2012 |
Mar 18, 2015 |
- |
|
 Gabon
|
Sep 24, 2009 |
Apr 1, 2014 |
- |
|
 Germany
|
- |
Apr 20, 2023 |
Reservation
|
|
 Ghana
|
Sep 24, 2009 |
- |
- |
|
 Guatemala
|
Sep 24, 2009 |
- |
- |
|
 Guinea-Bissau
|
Sep 25, 2009 |
- |
- |
|
 Honduras
|
- |
Jan 16, 2018 |
Reservation
|
|
 Ireland
|
Mar 23, 2012 |
- |
- |
|
 Italy
|
Sep 28, 2009 |
Feb 20, 2015 |
- |
|
 Kazakhstan
|
Sep 23, 2010 |
- |
Reservation
|
|
 Luxembourg
|
Sep 24, 2009 |
Feb 3, 2015 |
- |
|
 Madagascar
|
Sep 25, 2009 |
- |
- |
|
 Maldives
|
Sep 21, 2011 |
Dec 23, 2020 |
- |
|
 Mali
|
Sep 24, 2009 |
- |
- |
|
 Marshall Islands
|
- |
Mar 12, 2018 |
Reservation
|
|
 Mongolia
|
Dec 23, 2009 |
Jul 1, 2010 |
- |
|
 Montenegro
|
Sep 24, 2009 |
Sep 24, 2013 |
- |
|
 Netherlands
|
Sep 24, 2009 |
- |
- |
|
 Niger
|
- |
Nov 7, 2014 |
Reservation
|
|
 Paraguay
|
Oct 6, 2009 |
- |
- |
|
 Portugal
|
Sep 24, 2009 |
Jan 28, 2013 |
Reservation
DECLARATION
“With respect to article 10, the Portuguese Republic hereby declares that it recognizes the competence of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to receive and consider communications to the effect that a State Party cl aims that another State Party is not fulfilling its obligations under the Covenant. With respect to article 11, the Portuguese Republic hereby declares that it recognizes the competence of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights provided for under this article.” |
|
 Qatar
|
- |
May 21, 2018 |
Reservation
The State of Qatar does not consider itself bound by the following provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights for the below mentioned reasons:
1. Article 3 with regard to provisions related to the inheritance of power, for it contravenes the provisions of article 8 of the Constitution. 2. Article 23.4, for it contravenes the Islamic Sharia. |
1. The State of Qatar shall interpret the term “punishment” in Article 7 of the Covenant in accordance with the applicable legislation of Qatar and the Islamic Sharia. 2. The State of Qatar shall interpret Article 18, paragraph 2, of the Covenant based on the understanding that it does not contravene the Islamic Sharia. The State of Qatar reserves the right to implement such paragraph in accordance with such understanding. 3. The State of Qatar shall interpret that the term “trade unions” and all related matters, as mentioned in Article 22 of the Covenant, are in line with the Labor Law and national legislation. The State of Qatar reserves the right to implement such article in accordance with such understanding. 4. The State of Qatar shall interpret Article 23, paragraph 2, of the Covenant in a manner that does not contravene the Islamic Sharia. The State of Qatar reserves the right to implement such paragraph in accordance with such understanding. 5. The State of Qatar shall interpret Article 27 of the Covenant that professing and practicing one's own religion require that they do not violate the rules of public order and public morals, the protection of public safe[t]y and public health, or the rights of and basic freedoms of others. |
 Sao Tome and Principe
|
Oct 31, 1995 |
Jan 10, 2017 |
Reservation
|
|
 Senegal
|
Sep 24, 2009 |
- |
- |
|
 Serbia
|
- |
Sep 22, 2023 |
Reservation
|
|
 Slovakia
|
Sep 24, 2009 |
Mar 7, 2012 |
- |
|
 Slovenia
|
Sep 24, 2009 |
- |
- |
|
 Solomon Islands
|
Sep 24, 2009 |
- |
- |
|
 South Sudan
|
- |
Feb 5, 2024 |
Reservation
|
|
 Spain
|
Sep 24, 2009 |
Sep 23, 2010 |
- |
|
 The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
|
Aug 14, 2013 |
- |
- |
|
 Timor-Leste
|
Sep 28, 2009 |
- |
- |
|
 Togo
|
Sep 25, 2009 |
- |
- |
|
 Ukraine
|
Sep 24, 2009 |
- |
- |
|
 Uruguay
|
Sep 24, 2009 |
Feb 4, 2013 |
- |
|
 Venezuela
|
Oct 4, 2011 |
Oct 10, 2018 |
- |
|