The SLWG and the Geneva Academy organize joint meeting with HRC and CESCR members

In the context of the 50th anniversary of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the first rulings of the Committee on ESCR (CESCR) under the OP-ICESCR, and advances in recognition of the indivisibility of human rights, the SLWG and the Geneva Academy organized a joint meeting. Held on June 20 in Geneva, the meeting was held with convening members of the Human Rights Committee (HRC) and the CESCR to explore issues of follow up and implementation of views. Several members of ESCR-Net’s Strategic Litigation Working Group (SLWG) joined the meeting, where their transnational thematic experiences on ESCR litigation and implementation was highlighted.

During the meeting, SLWG members shared the Working Group’s “Draft Proposals for Consideration: Follow up on Views issued by UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies”, which are currently being revised to incorporate the views of Committee members and other UN and academic experts.

Three principles underpin the SLWG’s draft proposals: the principle of non-repetition (consistently applied by the Human Rights Committee (HRC) in its views and by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) in its General Comments); the principle of reasonableness (developed by the CESCR through its General Comments and 2007 Statement on Maximum Availability of Resources, and made explicit in the OP-ICESCR); and the principle of participation (recognized under a number of UN human rights treaties). Taking into account the practice of different international and regional human rights bodies, the SLWG understands that the three principles should be applied during the consideration of a case, follow up and implementation, in order to maximize the effectiveness of human rights remedies. The proposals are expected to be made public in the next two months.

ESCR-Net members have expressed hope that this ongoing discussion on follow up and implementation of views will contribute to the ongoing strengthening and harmonization of follow-up mechanisms and their implementation.