United Nations
E/C.12/AGO/CO/4-5*
Distr.: General
Economic and Social Council
15 July 2016
Original: English
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Concluding observations on the fourth and fifth periodic report of Angola**
1.The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights considered the fourth and fifth periodic reports of Angola on the
implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (E/C.12/AGO/4-5) at its 34th and 35th
meetings (E/C.12/2016/SR.34 and 35), held on 14 and 15 June 2016, and adopted the following concluding observations at its 49th
meeting, held on 24 June 2016.
A.Introduction
2.The Committee welcomes the fourth and fifth periodic reports submitted by the State party and the supplementary information
provided in the written replies to the list of issues (E/C.12/AGO/Q/4-5/Add.1). The Committee also appreciates the opportunity to
engage with the State party’s interministerial delegation.
B.Positive aspects
3.The Committee welcomes the State party’s ratification in 2014 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its
Optional Protocol.
4.The Committee notes with appreciation the adoption of the following legislative and policy measures by the State party to enhance
the promotion and protection of economic, social and cultural rights:
(a)Presidential Decree No. 36/15, which approves the Legal Regime for the Recognition of De Facto Unions by Mutual Consent and
the Dissolution of Recognized De Facto Unions;
(b)Law No. 13/01 on the Education System;
(c)National Development Plan, 2013-2017;
(d)National Strategic Programme for Water, 2013-2017;
(e)National Policy for Gender Equality and Equity, 2013;
(f)National Strategy for Food and Nutrition Security, 2009.
C.Principal subjects of concern and recommendations
Justiciability of economic, social and cultural rights
5.The Committee regrets the lack of information on judicial cases in which the provisions of the Covenant have been invoked before,
or applied by, domestic courts, despite article 26 of the Constitution which enables the Covenant to be directly applied in domestic
courts.
6. The Committee recommends that the State party undertake to raise awareness of the Covenant rights and their
justiciability, in particular among the judiciary, parliament, lawyers and law enforcement officials, as well as among rights
holders. The Committee requests the State party to submit information in its next periodic report on cases before the
courts in which the provisions of the Covenant have been invoked. The Committee draws the State party’s attention to
its general comment No. 9 (1998) on the domestic application of the Covenant.
Maximum available resources
7.The Committee is concerned about the insufficient resources allocated to areas covered by the Covenant, which have been
subjected to further cuts in 2015, negatively affecting the enjoyment of economic, social, and cultural rights in the State party.
8. The Committee recommends that the State party increase the resources allocated to the realization of Covenant
rights, including social protection, housing, health and education, in accordance with article 2 (1) of the Covenant. While
acknowledging that certain adjustments are at times inevitable, the Committee draws the State party’s attention to its