ESC Rights Update from Geneva: 26th of the UN Human Rights Council, Summer 2014

10 – 27 June 2014

The 26th session of the Human Rights Council saw States considering a broad range of economic, social and cultural rights and associated issues.

Special Procedures mandate holders in relation to the Right to Health, the Right to Education and Extreme Poverty and Human Rights all reported to the Council. One of the most hotly debated topics was the two competing resolutions on business and human rights put forward by Norway (and core group) and Ecuador (and South Africa), the latter of which proposed an inter-governmental working group to begin drafting a new treaty on transnational corporations.

Other ESC rights issues that received attention were the rights of peasants, the protection of the Roma population and human rights in post disaster and post conflict situations.

This session also involved a very welcomed number of resolutions and events on women’s rights including a large event on women’s economic empowerment, discussions about negative gender stereotyping, combating FGM, eliminating child early and forced marriage and the annual resolution on violence against women.

For a detailed report on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights at the 26th session of the Human Rights Council see HERE.