Chapter 3 | Page 115 Principles underscore the propositions that international assistance and cooperation should give priority to the realisation of all human rights, that such co-operation and assistance should be provided irrespective of differences in political, economic, and social systems among States,65 and that international assistance must be based on sovereign equality among States.66 The Principles also recognise that international assistance and co-operation should be part of the reporting mechanism under the Covenant and that State reports ‘should indicate the areas where more progress could be achieved through international co-operation and suggest economic and technical cooperation programmes that might be helpful toward that end.’67 The ESCR Committee also drew attention to the need for States to identify their particular needs for technical assistance or development co-operation.68 With reference to Article 55 and 56 of the United Nations Charter, principles of international law and the Covenant, the Committee emphasised that ‘international co-operation for development and the realization of ESC rights is an international obligation of all States’.69 It was further argued that particular effort is required to ensure that proper protection mechanisms are built into such programmes using the approaches known as ‘adjustment with a human face’ or ‘the human dimension of development’, which afford special attention to the poor and vulnerable.70 The Committee’s reference to international cooperation as a means to protect ESC rights during times of crisis and its particular attention to the provision of ‘major debt relief initiatives’71 suggest that it recognised the role of international assistance and co-operation for the realisation of these rights. The Committee maintained that ‘maximum available Centre for Human Rights ("Limburg Principles"), UN Doc E/CN.4/1987/17 (8 January 1987). 65 Ibid., Principle 31. 66 Ibid., Principle 33. 67 Ibid., Principle 81. 68 Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, General Comment No 2: International Technical Assistance Measures (Art. 22), 4th sess, UN Doc E/1990/23 (2 February 1990), [10]. 69 CESCR General Comment No 3, E/1991/23, above n 3, [14]. 70 CESCR General Comment No 2, E/1990/23, above n 68, [9]. 71 Ibid.