- 151 - Annex VIII UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON HUMAN SETTLEMENTS (HABITAT II) Statement of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights* 1. The right to housing was recognized for the first time in an international instrument in article 25, paragraph 1, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - regarded as the foundation of the international system for the protection of human rights - which states: "Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including ... housing ...". 2. The right to housing was consequently embodied in article 11, paragraph 1, of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which states: "The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing ..." 3. Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, the Commission on Human Rights, the General Assembly and other United Nations bodies have referred to the right to housing as a human right in documents and legal instruments. None of the 133 States parties to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has challenged the recognition by the Covenant of a separate and distinct right to housing. Many States formally recognize this right in their constitutions and domestic legislation. 4. It is clear that the right to an adequate standard of living, as defined in article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, is composed of several elements, including the right to adequate food, clothing and housing. 5. At its sixth session, in 1991, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights adopted General Comment No. 4 (1991) on the right to adequate housing, on the basis of its consideration of 75 reports of States parties to the Covenant and a great deal of other information from the General Assembly, the Commission on Human Rights, the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities and various governmental and non-governmental sources. 6. The Committee found that the problems of homelessness and inadequate housing arose in all parts of the world and affected not only developing countries, but also some of the economically most advanced societies, since, according to United Nations estimates, there were over 100 million persons homeless worldwide and over 1 billion persons inadequately housed. * Adopted at the thirteenth session (55th meeting), on 6 December 1995.