April 19, 2010: Towards a Human Rights-Centered Macro-Economic and Financial Policy in the US

Economic Policy in the 2010 Universal Periodic Review of the United States of America

ESCR-Net along with a number of other U.S. based human rights organizations are involved with the U.N.'s first Universal Periodic Review of the U.S., which is scheduled to take place November 2010. This process offers organizations an important opportunity to both measure how the U.S. is meeting its human rights obligations and to continue pressuring the government to live up to those obligations at home and abroad. The UPR assesses each country's adherence to its human rights obligations under the U.N. Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), human rights treaties ratified by the country, its voluntary commitments, and applicable international law. During the review, in addition to the "national report" provided by the country under review and the reports of U.N. bodies, the Working Group considers reports from other "stakeholders" such as civil society and national human rights institutions.

ESCR-Net's Economic Policy and Human Rights Initiative-together with the Center for Women's Global Leadership, Rutgers University and the Political Economy Research Institute, University of Massachusetts developed a cluster report on Macroeconomics - "Towards a Human Rights-Centered Macro-Economic and Financial Policy in the U.S.". The submission focuses on the human rights implications of the financial crisis and subsequent domestic policy responses. In particular, it focuses on the human rights obligation to protect and fulfill economic and social rights as well as the need for transparency, accountability and participation in the making of macroeconomic policy.

Download the full submission here.

Working Group Description: