Collaborative Report on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights for the UN Committee Now Complete – Sign on by January 9, 2025

Collaborative Report on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights for the UN Committee Now Complete – Sign on by January 9, 2025

We are pleased to announce the completion of our collaborative draft report on the UK’s record in implementing economic, social, and cultural rights, which will be submitted to the UN Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (CESCR) ahead of their review in 2025.

This report, developed in consultation with Scottish civil society organisations, addresses key issues highlighted in the CESCR’s List of Issues from Spring 2023. These include concerns about human rights protection, climate change, asylum rights, gender and racial equality, employment, social security, food security, and child poverty, among others.

The report aims to provide the CESCR with a comprehensive view of Scotland’s successes and challenges in upholding economic, social, and cultural rights, drawing on evidence from communities and policy work. We focus on the areas outlined in the UN’s List of Issues, while also highlighting urgent matters not currently covered in the list, such as the rise in hate crimes against marginalised groups.

The report addresses ten key areas, each critical to ensuring the UK’s compliance with international human rights obligations. These areas were chosen based on the issues raised in the CESCR’s 2023 List of Issues, including the protection of human rights through domestic law, the right to a healthy environment, and the fair treatment of asylum seekers. The report also focuses on gender and racial equality in employment, the rights of workers, the impact of social security reforms, and ongoing issues of poverty and food insecurity. We also address the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on public health and access to essential services, and the continuing challenge of child poverty in the UK.

Sign On by January 9, 2025

We invite organisations across Scotland to sign on to this collaborative report and its recommendations. To sign on as an organisation to support our recommendations, complete the Google form here.

The deadline for sign-on is January 9, 2025, at 5:00PM.

Thank you for your continued support in ensuring Scotland’s human rights record is robustly represented on the global stage.

For any questions or edits to the report, get in touch with our policy and communications lead Lucy on lucy@hrcscotland.org

Click here to read the draft report in full.