had by then found new employment. She therefore argues that the discriminatory effect of the said provision of the Act is not abolished for her, but still continues. 7.3 The Committee recalls its earlier jurisprudence and observes that, although a State is not required under the Covenant to adopt social security legislation, if it does, such legislation must comply with article 26 of the Covenant. 6.3 Counsel refers to the Committee's Views in communications Nos. 172/1984 5 and 182/1984 6 and argues that even if a transitional period is acceptable to bring the law in compliance with the Covenant, the length of that period, from the entry into force of the Covenant (11 March 1979) to the amendment of the law (6 June 1991), is unreasonable. Counsel therefore maintains that article 26 of the Covenant has been violated in the author's case by the refusal of the State party to grant her a benefit under the Unemployment Benefits Act for the period of her unemployment, from 1 August 1983 to 24 April 1984. 7.4 The Committee observes that even if the law in force in 1983 was not consistent with the requirements of article 26 of the Covenant, that deficiency was corrected upon the retroactive amendment of the law on 6 June 1991. The Committee notes that the author argues that the amended law still indirectly discriminates against her because it requires applicants to be unemployed at the time of application, and that this requirement effectively bars her from retroactive access to benefits. The Committee finds that the requirement of being unemployed at the time of application for benefits is, as such, reasonable and objective, in view of the purposes of the legislation in question, namely to provide assistance to persons who are unemployed. The Committee therefore concludes that the facts before it do not reveal a violation of article 26 of the Covenant. Examination of the merits 7.1 The Human Rights Committee has considered the present communication in the light of all the information made available to it by the parties, as provided in article 5, paragraph 1, of the Optional Protocol. 7.5 As regards the author's request that the Committee make a finding that article 26 of the Covenant acquired direct effect in the Netherlands as from 11 March 1979, the date on which the Covenant entered into force for the State party, or in any event as from 1 August 1983, the Committee observes that the method of incorporation of the Covenant in national legislation and practice varies among different legal systems. The determination of the question whether and when article 26 has acquired direct effect in the Netherlands is therefore a matter of domestic law and does not come within the competence of the Committee. 7.2 The questions before the Committee are whether the author is a victim of a violation of article 26 of the Covenant (a) because the state and application of the law in August 1983 did not entitle her to benefits under the Unemployment Benefits Act, and (b) because the present application of the amended law still does not entitle her to benefits for the period of her unemployment from 1 August 1983 to 24 April 1984. In this connection, the author has also requested the Committee to find that the Covenant acquired direct effect in the Netherlands as from 11 March 1979, or in any event as from 1 August 1983. 5 6 8. The Human Rights Committee, acting under article 5, paragraph 4, of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, is of the view that the facts before it do not disclose a violation of any provision of the Covenant. See footnote 1. See footnote 2. 64