Economic, social and cultural rights in international law

the long version

Since the first edition (published in 2009), there have been several important developments including the entry into force of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on individual communications and significant developments in the case law on economic, social and cultural (ESC) rights. The second edition addresses these developments and explores ESC rights from foundational issues to substantive rights and systems of protection. It has been fully updated to include new material and up-to-date coverage of the case law of human rights bodies and national courts on ESC rights. In addition to the rights to health, education and work covered in the first edition, the second edition analyses new developments such as trade union rights, the right to an adequate standard of living, the right to social security and the right to take part in cultural life. It also considers the relationship of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) to other areas of international law; admissibility under the Optional Protocol to the ICESCR; regional protection of ESC rights; more examples of the domestic protection of ESC rights; the protection of ESC rights of vulnerable groups; and contemporary challenges to ESC rights including poverty, armed conflicts and terrorism.