- 10 - Chapter II ORGANIZATIONAL AND OTHER MATTERS A. States parties to the Covenant 1. As at 8 December 1995, the closing date of the thirteenth session of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 133 States had ratified or acceded to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which was adopted by the General Assembly in resolution 2200 A (XXI) of 16 December 1966 and opened for signature and ratification in New York on 19 December 1966. The Covenant entered into force on 3 January 1976 in accordance with the provisions of its article 27. A list of States parties to the Covenant is contained in annex I to the present report. B. Sessions and agenda 2. The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, at its eleventh session, requested the Economic and Social Council to authorize, on an exceptional basis, the holding of an additional session of the Committee in the second half of 1995. 2/ The Economic and Social Council, by its decision 1995/217 of 10 February 1995, endorsed the Committee’s recommendation. Accordingly, in 1995, the Committee held its twelfth session from 1 to 19 May and its thirteenth session from 20 November to 8 December. Both sessions were held at the United Nations Office at Geneva. The agenda for each session is shown in annex III to the present report. 3. An account of the Committee’s deliberations at its twelfth and thirteenth sessions is contained in the relevant summary records (E/C.C.12/1995/SR.1-29 and E/C.12/1995/SR.30-58/Add.1, respectively). C. Membership and attendance 4. All members of the Committee, except Mr. Valeri Kouznetsov, attended the twelfth session. Mr. Kenneth Osborne Rattray attended only part of the session. All members of the Committee, except Mr. Philip Alston, attended the thirteenth session. Mr. Kenneth Osborne Rattray and Mr. Javier Wimer Zambrano attended only part of the session. 5. The following specialized agencies and United Nations organs were represented by observers at the twelfth session: ILO, UNESCO, WHO, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNDP and IMF; and at the thirteenth session: ILO. 6. The following non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council were represented by observers at the twelfth session: Category II: Habitat International Coalition, International Service for Human Rights, American Association of Jurists Roster: Foodfirst Information and Action Network (FIAN) 2/ E/1995/22, chap. I, draft decision I (Extraordinary additional session for the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights).