A/HRC/6/8 page 4 Introduction 1. In its resolution 1/3, the Human Rights Council gave the Working Group on an optional protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (the Working Group) a mandate “to elaborate an optional protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights” and requested the Chairperson to prepare “a first draft optional protocol … to be used as a basis for the forthcoming negotiations”. The first draft optional protocol prepared by the Chairperson is contained in document A/HRC/6/WG.4/2. The present report summarizes the discussion of the fourth session of the Working Group (16-27 July 2007). I. ORGANIZATION OF THE SESSION 2. The fourth session of the Working Group was opened by the Director of Operations, Programmes and Research Division of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). 3. In her statement to the Working Group, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights emphasized the importance of strengthening the protection of economic, social and cultural rights through the adoption of an optional protocol. She noted that the approaching sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides an occasion to reiterate the equal status of all human rights. The High Commissioner referred to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (OP-CRPD), which acknowledges that all human rights - including those subject to progressive realization - can appropriately be subject to individual communications, and underlined the importance of ensuring consistency and coherence with the existing body of international human rights law. 4. The Working Group re-elected by acclamation Catarina de Albuquerque (Portugal) as Chairperson-Rapporteur. The Chairperson reported on activities undertaken since resolution 1/3 was adopted, including her briefing of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) in May 2007, her participation in two regional meetings on an optional protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Mexico and Helsinki and her convening of a seminar of independent experts in Lisbon. 5. The Working Group adopted its agenda1 and its programme of work. II. OPENING STATEMENTS 6. Brazil (on behalf of the Group of Latin America and Caribbean Countries) welcomed the draft optional protocol prepared by the Chairperson. Portugal (on behalf of the European Union and associated countries) and Mexico expressed their appreciation that the draft uses agreed language from other United Nations human rights treaties, reflecting the main approaches discussed during previous meetings. They stressed the importance of putting economic, social and cultural rights on an equal footing with civil and political rights. 1 A/HRC/6/WG.4/1.