The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) is a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (GA) on 16 December 1966 through GA. Resolution 2200A (XXI), and came into force on 3 January 1976. It commits its parties to work toward the granting of economic, social, and cultural rights (ESCR) to all individuals including those living in Non-Self-Governing and Trust Territories. The rights include labour rights, the right to health, the right to education, and the right to an adequate standard of living. As of August 2025, the Covenant has 173 parties.
International Bill of Rights goes into effect (35 nations ratifying)
The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) is a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (GA) on 16 December 1966 through GA.
Historical Significance
The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) is a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (GA) on 16 December 1966 through GA.
Events Before
TV game show "Wheel of Fortune" debuts on NBC
Wheel of Fortune (often known simply as Wheel) is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin. The show has aired continuously since January 6, 1975.
Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor (57) weds toy inventor Jack Ryan (48) (div. 1976)
Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor (57) weds toy inventor Jack Ryan (48) (div. 1976)
Margaret Thatcher defeats Edward Heath for leadership of the British Conservative Party
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was a British stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990.
Colour television transmission begins in Australia
Television broadcasting in Australia began officially on 16 September 1956, with the opening of TCN-9, quickly followed by national and commercial stations in Sydney and Melbourne, all these being in…
"Mirror," a Russian film directed by Andrei Tarkovsky and starring Margarita Terekhova and Ignat Daniltsev, is released
Mirror is a 1975 Soviet avant-garde drama film directed by Andrei Tarkovsky and written by Tarkovsky and Aleksandr Misharin.
Events After
Erroll Garner dies
Erroll Garner dies
Belgium undergoes a major municipal reorganization and reapportions 2,359 communities into 596
Belgium undergoes a major municipal reorganization and reapportions 2,359 communities into 596
Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs incorporate Apple Computer, Inc.
Apple Inc., originally Apple Computer, Inc., is an American multinational corporation that creates and markets consumer electronics and attendant computer software, and is a digital distributor of…
American film director Martin Scorsese (34) divorces Julia Cameron (28) after 1 year of marriage
Megalopolis is a 2024 American epic science fiction drama film written, directed, and produced by Francis Ford Coppola.
Miniseries "Roots" premieres on ABC
Miniseries "Roots" premieres on ABC
More from the 1970s
death
Erroll Garner dies
Erroll Garner dies
birth
Chai Jing is born
Chai Jing, Chinese journalist and environmental activist, known for chinese journalist and environmental activist, was born on 1976-01-01. Chai Jing is a Chinese journalist.
Charles "Chub" Feeney becomes the President of Major League Baseball's National League
Charles Stoneham "Chub" Feeney (August 31, 1921 – January 10, 1994) was an Irish-American front office executive in Major League Baseball.
Cigarette advertisements are banned from broadcast media in the US
Cigarette advertisements are banned from broadcast media in the US
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happened on March 23, 1976?
- The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) is a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (GA) on 16 December 1966 through GA. Resolution 2200A (XXI), and came into force on 3 January 1976. It commits its parties to work toward the granting of economic, social, and cultural rights (ESCR) to all individuals including those living in Non-Self-Governing and Trust Territories.
- Why is International Bill of Rights goes into effect (35 nations ratifying) significant?
- The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) is a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (GA) on 16 December 1966 through GA.