Facing global challenges like armed conflicts, climate change and scarcity of resources, the UN as a platform for the international cooperation and global peace still is of majour significance. During the last decades, the focus of its work has shifted to legally non-binding agendas, most recently the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), which stand in the focus of their time and address sustainability. The greatest weakness of the work of the United Nations is its poor enforcement due to legally non-binding documents. This is also a weak point of the Sustainable Development Goals. As the agenda is contained within a legally non-binding UN Resolution, it is at the specific state’s discretion whether and to what extent the SDG are implemented. In these terms, the Goals show a deficit compared to binding human rights treaties within the UN human rights system. This system is based upon the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), which is together known as the Bill of Rights and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2016. The question arises, whether and how existent legally binding UN sources could support the implementation of the non-binding Sustainable Development Goals. As the Goals also address issues of individual’s economic, social and cultural life, the ICESCR could be a suitable guideline for implementation, assuming that the SDG focus on the same content as the Covenant, which are economic, social and cultural rights. In turn, the question arises whether the Sustainable Development Goals as a contemporary and modern work of the United Nations, could impact the long-established covenant.
In order to examine these questions, this thesis will analyse the interelationships between the ICESCR and the new Sustainable Development Goals.
Table of Content
1. Introduction
2. The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
2.1. History and Development
2.2. Brief Overview
2.3. What are Economic, Social and Cultural rights?
3. The Sustainable Development Goals
3.1. History and Development
3.2. Brief Overview
3.3. What is Sustainable Development?
4. Comparison of the Content in Respect of Human Rights
4.1. Decent Work and Employment
4.2. Adequate Living Standard and Social Welfare
4.3. Family protection
4.4. Health
4.5. Education
4.6. Cultural Participation and Scientific Progress
4.7. Conclusion - Do the Sustainable Development Goals Contain Economic, Social and Cultural Rights?
5. The Covenant and the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals
5.1. The Indivisibility and Coherence of the UN Human Rights System and the Position of the SDG
5.2. Indicators and Standards for the Implementation of Human Rights in the ICESCR
5.3. Suitable Indicators and Standards for the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals
5.4. Conclusion
6. Impact of the Sustainable Development Goals on the ICESCR
7. Conclusions
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This thesis examines the interrelationship between the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). It investigates whether and how legally binding human rights instruments can support the implementation of the non-binding Sustainable Development Goals, while also questioning if the SDG impact the interpretation of the established Covenant.
- The legal and structural differences between the ICESCR and the Sustainable Development Goals.
- A comparative analysis of human rights content regarding work, social welfare, health, education, and cultural participation.
- The potential for aligning SDG implementation with established human rights indicators and standards.
- The shift from human-centered to planet-centered approaches in contemporary UN agendas.
- The potential for the SDG to serve as tools for addressing weaknesses in the Covenant's monitoring mechanisms.
Excerpt from the Book
2.3. The Nature and Scope of Economic, Social and Cultural rights?
“Through millions of years, people sought their own sustenance without thought of assistance from a political entity“. Human history was driven by the individual struggle for basic needs like food, water, housing, and clothing. Life‘s essentials could be found by every individual and distribution of resources was not organised. During modern times, this changed remarkably and resulted in most individuals being dependent on organised societies. “These radically changed circumstances have led inevitably to international human rights law placing a burden on states to ensure the physical survival and well-being of their people“. The ensurance of physical survival and well-being is linked to an individual’s economic, social and cultural situation and incorporated into economic, social and cultural rights.
Thus, economic, social and cultural rights are human rights, that target the economic, social and cultural livelihood of human beings. These rights were accepted on an international level before civil and political rights did. In the second half of the nineteenth century, the overall recognition grew, that the improvement of working conditions at a national level required international cooperation and coordination. The origin of these rights thus can be traced back to the growth of socialist ideals in the nineteenth century and the rise of the labour movement in Europe. Due to this distinct history and their origin, economic, social and cultural rights are often named “second generation rights”.
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: Discusses the transition in UN focus toward legally non-binding agendas like the SDG and introduces the research question regarding the interrelationship between the ICESCR and the 2030 Agenda.
2. The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Outlines the history, development, and structure of the ICESCR, defining the nature of economic, social, and cultural rights.
3. The Sustainable Development Goals: Analyzes the history, structure, and the concept of sustainable development underpinning the 2030 Agenda.
4. Comparison of the Content in Respect of Human Rights: Conducts a thematic comparison between the ICESCR and the SDG in specific fields like work, health, and education to determine the degree of human rights integration.
5. The Covenant and the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals: Examines how the ICESCR's indicators and standards could provide guidance for the implementation of the SDG and improve their accountability.
6. Impact of the Sustainable Development Goals on the ICESCR: Explores how the modern SDG framework can assist in overcoming existing weaknesses in the implementation and monitoring of the Covenant.
7. Conclusions: Summarizes the potential for a mutually reinforcing relationship between the ICESCR and the SDG, highlighting how aligning both could ensure a more effective, human-rights-based approach to sustainable development.
Keywords
International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights, ICESCR, Sustainable Development Goals, SDG, Human Rights, 2030 Agenda, International Law, Social Welfare, Decent Work, Implementation, Human Rights Indicators, UN, Sustainability, Economic Rights, Accountability
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this publication?
This work explores the legal and conceptual relationship between the ICESCR and the Sustainable Development Goals, analyzing how the two frameworks interact within the UN system.
What are the central thematic fields covered in the comparison?
The book specifically compares human rights content regarding decent work, living standards and social welfare, family protection, health, education, and cultural participation.
What is the primary research question?
The research asks if and how binding UN human rights treaties like the ICESCR can support the implementation of the non-binding Sustainable Development Goals, and conversely, how the SDG might influence the Covenant.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The work employs a comparative legal and normative analysis, evaluating the text of the ICESCR against the targets of the 2030 Agenda and utilizing scholarly literature on international human rights law.
What does the main body of the work address?
The main body investigates the human rights content of both documents, evaluates implementation strategies, and discusses how the frameworks can be aligned to enhance global accountability.
Which keywords define this work?
Key terms include ICESCR, Sustainable Development Goals, 2030 Agenda, Human Rights, Implementation, and International Cooperation.
How do the Sustainable Development Goals differ from the Covenant in their approach?
The author argues that the SDG are essentially planet-centered and focused on environmental sustainability, whereas the Covenant is a classical human rights treaty centered on the individual human being.
Can the Sustainable Development Goals help improve the implementation of the ICESCR?
Yes, the author suggests that the SDG's concrete instructions and reliance on data from specialized agencies could help the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights overcome its dependency on unreliable state reporting.
What is the significance of the "Tier-III indicators" mentioned in the text?
These indicators, which currently lack an internationally established methodology, are identified as a gap where the ICESCR's well-established standards could provide necessary guidance and structure.
What is the final conclusion regarding the relationship between the two agendas?
The conclusion states that both frameworks can support each other, and that aligning the SDG with human rights standards is essential for achieving truly transformative and sustainable development.
- Quote paper
- Danielle Golinski (Author), 2017, The Relationship between the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and the Sustainable Development Goals, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/429642
