Speeches by the High Commissioner and the Deputy High Commissioner

Reports of the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner

OHCHR Publications

UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Special procedures of the Human Rights Council

Publications of other UN programmes, funds and specialized agencies

Speeches by the High Commissioner and the Deputy High Commissioner

• Keynote speech at Scientific Session on Health and Human Rights, World Medical Association General Assembly by the United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Kyung-wha Kang
• Address by Ms. Louise Arbour, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights at the FAO High Level Conference on the World Food Security, 4 June 2008
• Address by Ms. Louise Arbour, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the occasion of the 7th Special Session of the Human Rights Council, 22 May 2008
• Statement by Ms. Louise Arbour, High Commissioner for Human Rights, on the World Food Day, 15 October 2007
  
• High Commissioner backs work on mechanism to consider complaints of breaches of economic, social and cultural rights, 16 July 2007
  
• Second Annual Transitional Justice Lecture, "Economic and Social Justice for Societies in Transition" by Ms Louise Arbour, High Commissioner for Human Rights, New York University School of Law, 25 October 2006
  
• Statement by Ms Louise Arbour, High Commissioner for Human Rights, to the third session of the Open-ended Working Group on an Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 6 February 2006.
  
• LaFontaine-Baldwin lecture 2005 "Freedom from want - from charity to entitlement" by Ms Louise Arbour, High Commissioner for Human Rights, 3 March 2005.
  
• Keynote address by Ms Louise Arbour, High Commissioner for Human Rights, "Poverty, inequality and violence", International Conference organized by the World Organization against Torture, 4-6 October 2005
  
• Statement on behalf of Ms Louise Arbour, High Commissioner for Human Rights to the High Level Seminar on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Nantes, 5-7 September 2005
  
• Statement by Ms. Louise Arbour, High Commissioner for Human Rights, to the second session of the Open-ended Working Group on an Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 14 January 2005.

Reports of the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner

• Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to ECOSOC (E/2008/76)
  The present report, considers how the principles of equality between men and women and non-discrimination against women are paramount to the promotion and implementation of economic, social and cultural rights under international human
  rights law. By way of illustration, section III addresses the relevance of women’s economic, social and cultural rights in the context of post conflict reconstruction and democratization policies. Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Russian | Spanish
  
• Report of the Secretary-General on the question of the realization in all countries of economic, social and cultural rights (A/HRC/7/58) submitted to the Human Rights Council, seventh session, March 2008. (The report provides an overview of activities of the UN human rights mechanisms and the OHCHR in the area of ESCR). Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Russian | Spanish
  
• Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the scope and content of the relevant human rights obligations related to equitable access to safe drinking water and sanitation under international human rights instruments (A/HRC/6/3) - Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Russian | Spanish
  
• Report of the High Commissioner to the 2007 substantive session of ECOSOC (E/2007/82) (dedicated to the issue of progressive realization of economic, social and cultural rights) Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Russian | Spanish
  
• Report of the Secretary-General on the question of the realization in all countries of economic, social and cultural rights (A/HRC/4/62) submitted to the Human Rights Council, fourth session, March 2007. (Apart from providing an overview of activities of the UN human rights mechanisms and the OHCHR in the area of ESCR, the report elaborates upon the realization of economic, social and cultural rights in conflict and post-conflict societies.) Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Russian | Spanish
  
• Report of the High Commissioner to the 60th session of the General Assembly (A/60/36(SUPP)) (focuses on the Plan of Action of the High Commissioner, including on planned activities related to economic, social and cultural rights) Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Russian | Spanish
  
• Report of the High Commissioner to the 2006 substantive session of ECOSOC (E/2006/86) (dedicated to the issue of legal protection of economic, social and cultural rights) Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Russian | Spanish
  
• OHCHR Plan of Action. Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Russian | Spanish
  
• OHCHR Strategic Management Plan 2006-2007. English

OHCHR Publications

OHCHR: Frequently Asked Questions and Answers on ESCR, Fact Sheet No. 33. Arabic | English  | French | Russian | Spanish

OHCHR: The Right to health, Fact Sheet No. 31. English

OHCHR: Economic, Social and Cultural Rights - Handbook for National Human Rights Institutions - Professional Training Series No. 12 ( New York and Geneva : United Nations, 2005), 148 pp. Arabic | Chinese | English

OHCHR: Chapter 17: Monitoring Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, in: Training Manual on Human Rights Monitoring - Professional Training Series No. 7 (New York and Geneva: United Nations, 2001) Chapter | Complete Manual | Other Languages (only online)

OHCHR , The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Rev.1) , Fact Sheet No. 16. Chinese l English l French l Russian l Spanish

OHCHR : The Human Right to Adequate Housing , Fact Sheet No. 21. English l French l Spanish

OHCHR: Forced Evictions and Human Rights , Fact Sheet, No. 25. Chinese l English l French l Spanish

OHCHR: Principles and Guidelines for a Human Rights approach to Poverty reduction strategies (2006). English (is being translated into other languages)

OHCHR: Human Rights and Poverty Reduction: A Conceptual Framework ( New York and Geneva : United Nations, 2004 ) English l French l Spanish

OHCHR/UNAIDS : International Guidelines on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights - 2006 Consolidated Version, 114 pp. English

OHCHR/UNAIDS/WHO : HIV/AIDS: Stand Up for Human Rights (cartoon booklet) (2003), 20 pp. English | French

OHCHR/UN-HABITAT : Indigenous peoples' right to adequate housing - A global overview ( Nairobi , 2005), 219 pp. English

OHCHR/UN-HABITAT: Monitoring Housing Rights: Developing a Set of Indicators to Monitor the Full and Progressive Realisation of the Human Right to Adequate Housing , UNHRP Working Paper No. 1 ( Nairobi , 2003) 76 pp. English

OHCHR/UN-HABITAT : Housing Rights Legislation (2002) English

OHCHR/UNFPA: Application of Human Rights to Reproductive and Sexual Health , Recommendations from the Expert Group Meeting (2001), 7 pp. English l French l Spanish

OHCHR/WHO : The Right to Water (2003), 44 pp. English

OHCHR/FAO/IDMC/NRC/OCHA/UN-Habitat/UNHCR: Housing and Property Restitution for Refugees and Displaced Persons: Implementing the 'Pinheiro Principles' (2007), 112 p. English

UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Main page (information about the Committee and its work, upcoming sessions, etc.)

General Comments of the Committee

Special procedures of the Human Rights Council

Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living (mandate established in 2000)

Special Rapporteur on the right to education (mandate established in 1998)

Special Rapporteur on the right to food (mandate established in 2000)

Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health (mandate established in 2002)

Publications of other UN Specialized Agencies, Programmes and Funds

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

World Health Organization (WHO)

OHCHR/WHO - The Right to Health (Information Sheet ) (2007) English