At its 38th meeting, on 9 April 1998, the Commission on Human Rights, recalling its decision 1997/103 of 3 April 1997 and taking note of the notes by the Secretariat in this regard (E/CN.4/1998/26 and E/CN.4/1998/27), in particular the one concerning the decision of the Bureau of the fifty­third session that the second session of the open­ended working group on structural adjustment programmes and economic, social and cultural rights should be rescheduled to take place after the fifty­fourth session of the Commission on Human Rights, decided, by a roll­call vote of 36 votes to 14, with 3 abstentions:
(a) To authorize the open­ended working group to meet for one week, at least four weeks before the fifty­fifth session of the Commission, to consider the report of the independent expert and the comments received thereon and to report to the Commission at its fifty­fifth session;
(b) To request the independent expert appointed by the Chairman of the Commission at its fifty­third session to submit his report for circulation and comment as envisioned in decision 1997/103 and for consideration by the working group;
(c) To request the Secretary­General to provide all the necessary assistance and resources to enable the working group to complete its work, including the circulation for comment of the report of the independent expert as envisioned in decision 1997/103, and to provide the independent expert with all the necessary assistance and resources to carry out his mandate.
The Commission recommended the following draft decision to the Economic and Social Council for adoption:
Effects of structural adjustment policies on the full enjoyment of human rights
The Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights decision 1998/102 of 9 April 1998, endorses the Commission's decision to authorize the open­ended working group on structural adjustment programmes and economic, social and cultural rights to meet for one week, at least four weeks before the fifty­fifth session of the Commission, to consider the report of the independent expert and the comments received thereon and to report to the Commission at its fifty­fifth session.
In order that the working group may carry out its mandate, the Council decides:
(a) To request the Secretary­General to circulate the report of the independent expert to Governments, United Nations bodies, in particular the regional commissions, the specialized agencies, intergovernmental organizations, non­governmental organizations, particularly those involved in development, and academic institutions and organizations representing disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, and to invite them to submit their comments thereon to the working group at its next session;
(b) To request the Secretary­General to invite and encourage non­governmental organizations involved in development and working in the field to participate actively in the sessions of the working group;
(c) To request the Secretary­General to provide all the necessary assistance and resources to enable the working group to complete its task and to provide the independent expert with all the necessary assistance and resources to carry out his mandate.
[See chap. V.]