Economic and Social Rights

Malawi - Fact Finding Mission - Rights & Democracy 2006

The Economic and Social Rights program at Rights & Democracy promotes use of the human rights framework for development and for monitoring the impacts of economic policy at the national level. In doing so, it seeks to help reduce the gap between international human rights standards and the actual practice of states.

The programme carries out its mandate by supporting civil society organizations in developing countries, publishing action research and conducting advocacy initiatives at both the international and national levels.

Rights & Democracy promotes and defends economic, social and cultural rights as a cross-cutting issue. In particular, the Economic and Social Rights programme maintains a focus on the human right to an adequate standard of living, including the human right to food. The program also maintains a focus on labour rights, particularly in China.

As part of its "Investing in Human Rights" project, Rights & Democracy is working with its partners to develop a human rights impact assessment methodology to be used by affected communities and policy makers. The project has tested a draft methodology in five case studies and will produce a tool kit for communities based on lessons-learned from that experience.

Rights & Democracy has been active around the various processes that govern international trade. For example, the World Trade Organization, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the Summit of the Americas process. Areas of focus include agricultural development and information and communications technology (ICT).