Monitoring

Monitoring

A powerful tool to strengthen Economic, Social and Cultural Rights work

Economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR) are essential elements of a life with dignity and freedom - work, health, education, food, housing, and social security amongst others. These human rights represent legal obligations for States as recognized in several human rights instruments. Fulfilling these rights depends in many ways on public resources, which are allocated through public budgets. Public budgets are thus an important instrument through which governments either comply or fail to comply with their human rights obligations and are also important indicators of what the governmental priorities really are, regardless of their rhetoric.

The capacity to understand and analyse budgets offers an important tool for human rights activists to:

  • identify violations of ESCR: Has the government taken regressive measures in relation to a right? Does the way monies are being allocated discriminate against women or vulnerable groups? Is money being deviated or used in an inefficient way?
  • offer concrete solutions or alternatives to improve a situation: What is wrong with the way resources are being allocated (is one group being prioritized wrongly over another? How can resources be used most effectively?
  • help build persuasive and strong evidence for human rights advocacy: by providing objective figures and numbers to build and sustain arguments.

Likewise, for groups that do applied budget work to advance social justice or address poverty issues, the human rights framework offers an important tool. Because ESCR represent legal obligations of the States, issues like health services, transparency, participation and other important ones which are dealt with by budget groups get strengthened and legitimized by falling within this generally accepted legal framework and by being argued as legal responsibilities of the State. ESCR offer as well important guidelines to set priorities and choose between different ways of spending resources.

By building a bridge between budget analysis work and human rights we create a powerful tool to promote social justice.

What is ESCR-Net Doing on Budget Analysis and ESCR?

Linking and Learning Programme on Budget Analysis and ESCR
ESCR-Net in partnership with Dignity International, Fundar - Centro de Análisis e Investigación, The International Budget Project and the International Human Rights Internship Project, developed the first Linking and Learning Programme on Budget Analysis and ESCR. The Programme aims to provide human rights practitioners with the necessary skills to understand and analyze budgets and to use these skills as a tool to strengthen human rights defense and advocacy. The Programme is scheduled to take place on a yearly basis. In addition, regional programs are being developed. Information on future programs and other related activities will be circulated through the discussion group (click here to subscribe to the group) and will be posted on this site www.escr-net.org



 

More information about Learning Programs is available at the bottom of the page.

Budget Analysis and ESCR Discussion Group

This Initiative facilitates discussions and joint actions among groups and individuals interested in Budget Analysis and ESCR, ESCR-Net has formed a Discussion Group, which includes almost 200 groups and individuals working and interested in this field.

ESCR-Net work on Budget Analysis and ESCR started during the network's Inaugural Conference in Chiang Mai, Thailand in 2003. During this conference, a workshop and three break-out sessions on budgets and ESCR were organized with the coordination of IHRIP and Fundar. There was considerable among many of the participants in analyzing how budgets relate to ESC rights and how budget work can be used to advance those rights. There also was consensus that ESCR-Net should develop a working group on this topic, and help build the capacity of groups to incorporate budget analysis into their human rights work. A discussion group was formed to commence that process.

We welcome your ideas, suggestions and input in the identification of new projects, and collective work.

We encourage you to subscribe to the Discussion Group and share with us your work (or your interest) in Budget Analysis and ESCR; news or developments in the field; publications; events or anything else related. Feel free as well to post questions, inputs or inquires you might have.

If you have an idea on joint projects that could be developed in this field, please do not hesitate to send your proposal to the Discussion Group or to the ESCR-Net Secretariat directly - please contact Suad Elias (selias@escr-net.org).  

We want to know what is happening on the field of BA and HR
ESCR-Net is considering other projects and lines of work to strengthen the field of budget analysis and human rights. Currently, we are working to build a clear picture of this emerging field of work as well as a needs assessment for future efforts. Among other questions we seek to answer:

  • Who is doing what on budget analysis and human rights?
  • How is work on budget analysis and human rights being developed?
  • What resources exist?
  • What human rights standards are being used?

If your organization is doing work in this field, or if you know of other groups that are, we would very much appreciate if you could share this information with us. Please fill out the questionnaire or write to us at the Secretariat (selias@escr-net.org).

Moderators, Coordinators, Steering Cmte. Members: 

Ann Blyberg
International Human Rights Internship Program, IHRIP

Shaamela Cassiem
International Budget Project, IBP

Suad Elías Atala
ESCR-Net

More Information: 

Ann Blyberg
International Human Rights Internship Program, IHRIP

Shaamela Cassiem
International Budget Project, IBP

Suad Elías Atala
ESCR-Net