ICESCRstä

The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) is a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 16, 1966. It is one of the core international human rights treaties and, along with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, forms the International Bill of Human Rights. The ICESCR entered into force on January 3, 1976.

The covenant recognizes the inherent dignity of all persons and their equal and inalienable rights, which form the foundation of freedom, justice, and peace in the world. It obliges State parties to promote the universal respect for and observance of human rights and freedoms. Specifically, the ICESCR recognizes the right to work, the right to just and favorable conditions of work, the right to form and join trade unions, the right to an adequate standard of living, including food, clothing, and housing, the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, the right to education, and the right to take part in cultural life.

Unlike civil and political rights, which are often considered immediately enforceable, economic, social, and cultural rights are generally understood as progressive in nature, requiring States parties to take steps to the maximum of their available resources to achieve progressively the full realization of these rights. The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights is the treaty body responsible for monitoring the implementation of the ICESCR by its States parties.