ESC rights at the international level

Human rights proponents have identified gaps in human rights protection which have become more severe in the context of globalisation during the past 20 years. The ETO Consortium is a network of human rights related NGOs, university institutes and institution-based individuals.

GENEVA (21 June 2011) – A United Nations expert committee on migrants’ rights welcomed the recent adoption by the International Labor Organization (ILO) of the International Convention on Domestic Workers, a landmark legal instrument aimed to protect the rights and improve the conditions of life of domestic workers, millions of whom are migrants.

14 February 2011 – The United Nations began laying the groundwork today for a global “social protection floor” that would guarantee food security, health services for all and old-age pensions, with a senior official stressing that all that is lacking is the political will for an initiative needing minimum investment.

(New York) - The European Union’s ratification of the major international treaty on disability rights is a significant milestone in the global effort to promote the rights of people with disabilities, Human Rights Watch said.

Claire Mahon
Monitoring Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Training Course
Geneva, 10 May 2010

An indicator provides a measure of "how much" or "how many" or "to what extent" or "what size.“ It can demonstrate the level where something is, the direction it is headed, and how far it is from a goal/target/benchmark. Indicators are often quantitative, but can be qualitative Human rights indicator - strong link to human rights norms and standards Some socio-economic statistics can be used as human rights indicators

The thirteenth session of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families will be held at the Palais Wilson in Geneva from 22 November to 3 December 2010. During its two week session, the Committee will review efforts by Albania, Ecuador and Senegal to implement their obligations under the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.

On September 20-22, world leaders gathered in New York to encourage progress towards meeting the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals. On this occasion, the Special Rapporteur publicly recalled the limitations of the current strategy, which "focuses on the symptoms of underdevelopment but ignores its underlying causes."

• Overview of the UN Human Rights System
• About the Human Rights Council
• Functions of the Council: Universal Periodic Review, Complaints Procedure, Advisory Committee, Standard Setting
• Role of NGOs

Governments that pursue development hand-in-hand with human rights stand a better chance of reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). By incorporating human rights principles into national development strategies and fulfilling their human rights obligations, governments are more likely to be successful in meeting the MDGs (to reduce poverty, hunger and disease and promote gender equality, education, environmental sustainability and global partnerships) and in realizing the UN Charter’s vision of a more equal and just world.