Effects of Foreign Debt and Other Related International Financial Obligations of States on the Full Enjoyment of All Human Rights, Particularly Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

A/HRC/RES/58/12View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A document of the Human Rights Council, under agenda item 3 Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development, published in 2025.

What other versions does this mandate have?

4 versions · 2021–2025

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2025	A/HRC/RES/58/12	Effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States on the full enjoyment of all human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights	1,978	81%Compare
2024	A/HRC/RES/55/6	Effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States on the full enjoyment of all human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights	1,712	82%Compare
2022	A/HRC/RES/49/15	Effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States on the full enjoyment of all human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights	1,556	84%Compare
2021	A/HRC/RES/46/8	Effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States on the full enjoyment of all human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights	1,570	–

Who cites this mandate in the budget?

1 entity

Entity	(Sub-)Programme	Title	Total mandates cited	Expenditure
	Programme 20	Human rights	433

Historical expenditure covers the complete programme or subprogramme, not this mandate. For an overview of all UN entities and programmes, see UN entities and programmes.

Who cites this mandate in the budget?

1 entity

Entity	(Sub-)Programme	Title	Total mandates cited	Expenditure
	Programme 20	Human rights	433	—

Historical expenditure covers the complete programme or subprogramme, not this mandate. For an overview of all UN entities and programmes, see UN entities and programmes.

What subjects does this mandate have?

7 subjects

Debt Relief Economic Policy Economic, Social and Cultural Rights External Debt Human Rights International Cooperation Sustainable Development

What’s in this document?

15 operative paragraphs

Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Independent Expert on the effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States on the full enjoyment of all human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights, entitled “Understanding the landscape of climate finance, debt, tax and illicit financial flows and human rights”;³

³A/HRC/58/51.

Invites the Independent Expert to give, in accordance with her mandate, appropriate consideration to the impact of all international financial obligations on groups living below the poverty line, including women, youth, children, persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples, migrants and persons belonging to national, ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities suffering from socioeconomic inequalities and discrimination;

Recognizes that developing countries require massive liquidity and financing support to deal with the fallout resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and its repercussions for the economy and for all human rights owing to the challenges faced in the areas of healthcare, education, employment and social protection systems, as well as to the heavy debt burden and deteriorating economic buffer;

Recalls that every State has the primary responsibility to promote the economic, social and cultural development of its people, and to that end has the right and responsibility to choose its means and goals of development and should not be subject to external specific prescriptions for economic policy;

Recognizes that debt relief can play a key role in liberating resources that should be directed towards activities consistent with attaining sustainable growth and development and the realization of human rights, including poverty reduction and the achievement of development goals, including those set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and therefore that debt relief measures, where appropriate, should be pursued vigorously and expeditiously, ensuring that they do not replace alternative sources of financing and that they are accompanied by an increase in official development assistance;

Calls for reform of the international financial architecture as an important step to address the debt problem and debt sustainability and to mobilize additional financing for sustainable development, particularly in developing countries, reducing inequalities and allowing States to prioritize the mobilization and allocation of resources for the implementation of economic, social and cultural rights;

Stresses that the economic programmes arising from foreign debt relief and cancellation must not reproduce past structural adjustment policies that have produced a negative impact on the realization of human rights, including the right to development, such as dogmatic demands for privatization and reduced public services;

Urges States, international financial institutions and the private sector to take urgent measures to alleviate the debt problem and to address the debt sustainability of developing countries, so that more financial resources may be released and used for health, education, sanitation, public services, social protection and the realization of other economic and social rights in the countries affected;

Reiterates its view that, in order to find a durable solution to the debt problem and for the consideration of any new debt resolution mechanism, there is a need for a broad political dialogue between creditor and debtor countries and multilateral financial institutions, within the United Nations system, based on the principle of shared interests and responsibilities, as well as the political willingness of all relevant parties;

Requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to pay more attention to the problem of the debt burden of developing countries, in particular of least developed countries, and especially the social and human rights-related impact of the measures arising from foreign debt, and to provide global analytical and policy strategies in the context of reforms of the international financial architecture;

Encourages the Independent Expert to cooperate, in accordance with her mandate, with the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the special procedures of the Human Rights Council and the Advisory Committee of the Council on issues relating to economic, social and cultural rights and the right to development in her work;

Requests the Independent Expert to continue to report regularly to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly in accordance with their programmes of work;

Requests the Secretary-General to provide the Independent Expert with all necessary assistance, in particular all the staff and resources required to carry out her functions;

Urges Governments, international organizations, international financial institutions, non-governmental organizations and the private sector to cooperate fully with the Independent Expert in the discharge of the mandate;

Decides to continue its consideration of this matter under the same agenda item in accordance with its programme of work.

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What other versions does this mandate have?

Who cites this mandate in the budget?

Who cites this mandate in the budget?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

Table of contents

Who cites this mandate in the budget?