Socio-Economic Rights

Abstract

Chapter 8 provides a critical analysis of some of the difficulties experienced in attempting to promote the development of universal social and economic rights. It discusses the importance of ideology, human agency and power in the historical development of concepts of socio-economic rights in nation-states and then in international human rights mechanisms such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). It also discusses contemporary attempts by NGOs and other campaigning organisations to develop internationally agreed sustainable development goals (SDGs) and to promote the recognition and realisation of universal socio-economic rights globally.