International Network for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Working together to make human rights a reality for all.
All News
December 10, 2008: New Animation Promotes Justice for Violation of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Watch the exciting new video from our friends, Amnesty International.
October 22, 2008: CALS Wins Third Place in International Business Ethics Network Awards
The Wits Centre for Applied Legal Studies (CALS) has won third prize in a global award offered by the US-based Business Ethics Network (BEN), for the Phiri water rights campaign.
30 November to 11 December 2008: Call for Applications: 7th Annual Global Linking and Learning Programme on Human Rights Based Development
For the seventh consecutive year, Dignity is proud to invite applications to the Annual Global Linking and Learning Programme.
October 8, 2008: Royal Dutch Shell to go to Trial for Complicity in Torture and Murder of Nigerian Protesters
Yesterday, Judge Kimba Wood of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York set a trial date of February 9, 2009 for a human rights and racketeering case against the Royal Dutch Shell company (Shell) and the head of its Nigerian operation, Brian Anderson.
September 16,2008: New ICJ Publication: Corporate Complicity in International Crimes
The ICJ made public the final report of the Expert Legal Panel on Corporate Complicity in International Crimes it set up in 2006 to explore when companies and their officials could be held legally responsible under criminal and/or civil law when they are involved with other actors in gross human rights abuses.
August 10, 2008: S. African Housing Activist Grootboom Eulogized - Western Cape Anti-Eviction Press Statement
On Saturday, August 9, a holiday marking the contribution of women to South Africa's liberation struggle, three members of the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign joined close to 500 mourners at the funeral of Irene Grootboom.
July 2008: The Chronic Poverty Report 2008-09
'…..Over the last five years, in an era of unprecedented global wealth creation, the number of people living in chronic poverty has increased. Between 320 and 443 million people are now trapped in poverty that lasts for many years, often for their entire lifetime. Their children frequently inherit chronic poverty, if they survive infancy. Many chronically poor people die prematurely from easily preventable health problems.
July 26, 2008: Press Release: Future of Indian Agriculture Being Sold Out at WTO
Recovering from a near political fall out earlier in the week over the US Nuclear deal, the Congress led UPA Government now stands on a fragile ground. Pressure is now on the UPA to accept a Doha Deal that will destroy the foundations of Indian agriculture – affecting livelihood concerns of 65 crore farmers and food security of the nation.
Joint Declaration addressed to Governments on World Food Crisis
The undersigned social movements and civil society organizations welcome the decision of the UN Human Rights Council, upon request of the new UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to food, to hold a special session on the negative impact of the world food crisis on the realization of the right to food, which took place on May 22nd in Geneva.
July 9, 2008: Water in Egypt: Between a painful reality and a dangerous future
The Land Center for Human Rights issued report No. "47" of the land and farmer sires on: “water problems in Egypt”.
June 23, 2008: Australian parliament passes motion to do more on business and human
A motion on business and human rights was passed today through Federal Parliament with the support of the Government (the motion is attached). The press release welcoming the move is below.
New Book on ESC Rights: New Rights Advocacy
Georgetown University Press is pleased to announce a new publication in
our Advancing Human Rights series
Déclaration commune sur la crise alimentaire mondiale
Les mouvements sociaux et organisations de la société civile signataires approuvent la décision du Conseil des Droits de l’Homme des Nations Unies, sur proposition du nouveau Rapporteur spécial sur le droit à l’alimentation, de tenir une session spéciale concernant l’impact de la crise alimentaire mondiale sur la réalisation du droit à l’alimentation, le 22 mai 2008 à Genève.
Something to Celebrate: On December 10th, 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Optional Protocol to the ICESCR was adopted!
The Optional Protocol to the ICESCR was adopted on December 10th by the UN General Assembly. The next steps: Ensure wide ratification and harmonization of the national systems to the obligations imposed by the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
May 11, 2008: OMCT African Regional Seminar and the Maputo Declaration
African Human Rights NGOs meeting in Maputo to address the economic, social and cultural root causes of torture call on Governments to make Africa a torture-free continent.