Promoting and Protecting Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Within the Context of Addressing Inequalities

A/HRC/RES/54/22View PDF

Who created this mandate?

A Resolution of the Human Rights Council, under agenda item 3Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development, published in 2023.

What other versions does this mandate have?

2 versions · 2023–2025

This is an older version — the most recent is A/HRC/RES/60/14

2025A/HRC/RES/60/14Promoting and protecting economic, social and cultural rights within the context of addressing inequalitiesLatestCompare with previous version
2023A/HRC/RES/54/22Promoting and protecting economic, social and cultural rights within the context of addressing inequalities

Versions are identified automatically by matching titles within the same organ (~97% accuracy on a manual audit).

What subjects does this mandate have?

7 topics

Capacity Building Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Equality Information Exchange International Cooperation Recovery Technical Cooperation

What does this mandate say?

16 operative paragraphs

Stresses the importance of respecting, protecting and fulfilling economic, social and cultural rights within the context of addressing inequalities, including within and among States, as envisaged in the Sustainable Development Goals;

Emphasizes that States, in fulfilling economic, social and cultural rights, should provide adequate investments, in accordance with the national legislation of each State and its international human rights obligations, in public health systems, education, social protection, decent work, housing, food, water and sanitation systems, including to respond effectively to global challenges;

Also emphasizes that States need to enhance their ongoing efforts in order to create conditions conducive to the enjoyment and realization of economic, social and cultural rights, including by mobilizing resources towards the full, equal and effective enjoyment of these rights by persons in marginalized or vulnerable situations;

Encourages States that have not yet signed, ratified or acceded to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to consider doing so, and encourages all States to implement relevant Human Rights Council resolutions on economic, social and cultural rights;

Encourages the identification of the root causes of discrimination, in particular in the context of multiple and aggravated forms of discrimination, and the adoption of measures necessary to combat discrimination and inequalities, inter alia, poverty alleviation, homelessness elimination, human rights education and social protection;

Stresses that it is essential to scale up international cooperation to support developing and least developed countries and persons in marginalized and vulnerable situations, who are disproportionately bearing the socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic, to ensure that the global response and recovery efforts are based on unity, solidarity, multilateral cooperation and the principle of leaving no one behind;

Encourages international financial institutions to continue to support States, in particular developing countries, and, when doing so, to take into consideration the prioritization of social spending and the enhancement of States’ fiscal space, while engaging collaboratively in terms of international assistance and cooperation, all of which contribute to the realization of economic, social and cultural rights;

Encourages the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Human Rights Council, the United Nations development system, international financial institutions, regional organizations and other stakeholders, as appropriate and within their respective mandates, to take into consideration the needs of States, especially in developing and least developed countries, to fulfil their responsibilities to better promote and protect economic, social and cultural rights, address inequalities and implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;

Calls upon the Office of the High Commissioner, in accordance with its mandate, to continue to guide its work and set its priorities on economic, social and cultural rights, taking into consideration relevant resolutions and decisions of the Human Rights Council, with due regard to achieving international cooperation in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights;

Requests the Office of the High Commissioner to enhance its work, within its mandate, in the field of economic, social and cultural rights, in order to effectively assist all countries in promoting and protecting economic, social and cultural rights and addressing inequalities;

Requests the Secretary-General to scale up the capacity of the Office of the High Commissioner through additional regular budget-funded posts to enhance the work of the Office at headquarters, with due regard to gender balance and equitable geographical representation, in accordance with its mandate in the field of the economic, social and cultural rights enshrined in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights;

Decides to convene a panel discussion, with gender balance and equitable geographical representation, on the reinforcement of the work to promote and protect economic, social and cultural rights within the context of addressing inequalities, including the work of the Office of the High Commissioner and other international human rights mechanisms in this regard, at the fifty-seventh session of the Human Rights Council, and to invite Member States, relevant United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, international and regional organizations, national human rights institutions, civil society organizations and other relevant stakeholders to share achievements, challenges and best practices and to identify ways in which the Office can best contribute to the efforts of States to respect, promote and fulfil economic, social and cultural rights, in accordance with its mandate, including the possibility of enhancing the capacity of the Office at the regional level to better provide advisory services and technical and financial assistance;

Requests the Secretary-General to provide the panel discussion with all the resources necessary for services and facilities;

Requests the High Commissioner to prepare a summary report on the panel discussion and to present the report to the Human Rights Council at its sixtieth session, followed by an interactive dialogue;

Also requests the High Commissioner to establish a knowledge hub at headquarters, to be dedicated to technical assistance and capacity-building, to consolidate best practices and know-how in promoting and protecting economic, social and cultural rights within the context of addressing inequalities, with the support of the Office of High Commissioner in the process of enhancing its capacity in the field of economic, social and cultural rights, and make the knowledge hub available to Member States and relevant stakeholders in a user-friendly manner;

Decides to remain seized of the matter and to consider taking further action in order to implement the present resolution.

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What does this mandate say?

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