About the Programme_
Economic and social rights (ESR) are poorly understood and rarely enforced in many states. This despite the fact that a large number of states are party to international treaties, such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
As a result, these rights need to be consolidated and given full effect through a variety of advocacy strategies including litigation. INTERIGHTS has identified the right to health and the right to education as key areas where the organisation can successfully pursue strategic litigation to better protect ESR at both the regional and international level. Over the past year, INTERIGHTS has worked on cases involving such diverse issues as the linguistic rights in education, school segregation, sexual and reproductive health education and conditions in mental health care facilities.
Announcements_
European Social Charter Complaint over Croatia's Flawed Sex Education ProgrammeINTERIGHTS, together with other human rights organisations, filed a legal challenge against Croatia for its sponsorsip of and efforts to expand a discrimiantory and non-science based programme promoting abstinence at the expense of viable alternatives such as contraception.
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European Social Charter Complaint over Greece's Ongoing Violation of Roma Housing RightsINTERIGHTS, together with Greek Helsinki Monitor, filed a legal challenge against Greece detailing serious and widespread violations of the Roma community’s right to housing.
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Litigation_
The European Court of Human Rights ruling that the Czech government engaged in indirect discrimination against Roma children is a major step forward in implementing the European Convention on Human Rights, Human Rights Watch and INTERIGHTS said today.
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Capacity Building and Standard Setting_
April 2008 saw the culmination of years of work by economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR) activists to secure a complaints mechanism for the International Covenant on ESCR when the Working Group set up by the previous UN Human Rights Commission agreed a draft Optional Protocol (OP) for submission to the Human Rights Council and ultimate approval by the General Assembly.
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In June 2006 a Pacific regional judicial colloquium and workshop held on the theme ‘Justiciability of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the Pacific’, over 40 international jurists agreed a number of practical conclusions and recommendations covering different aspects of economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR).
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