§ Angus Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions (a)he and (b)members of his Department have had with representatives of the US Administration concerning the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. [131531]
§ Mr. Mike O'Brien:Neither my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, nor officials have had recent discussions with the US Administration specifically about the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does, however, have regular contact with the US Administration on human rights issues, including economic and social rights. Our discussions at official level in the margins of the UN General Assembly Third Committee and the annual Commission on Human Rights in Geneva include a range of discussions on economic and social rights.