Litigating socio-economic rights at the international level: Introducing the Optional Protocol to the ICESCR
On 26 May 2009, the Socio-Economic Rights Project of the Community Law Centre hosted a seminar on litigating socio-economic rights at the international level and introducing the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights ICESCR as organised by the Socio-Economic Rights Project of the Community Law Centre (University of the Western Cape).
The seminar was organised around the newly adopted Optional Protocol to the ICESCR that establishes individual and interstate complaint procedures and an inquiry procedure. The seminar brought together 40 participants from across South Africa including community and non-governmental organisations, South African Human Rights Commission and the academia.
The objectives of the seminar were:
- To raise awareness of the Optional Protocol to the ICESCR and various procedures it establishes;
- To provide a forum where institutions and organisations working on socio-economic rights can discuss, reflect and share experiences on enhancing the implementation of socio-economic rights and effective litigation strategies;
- To provide a forum for networking and initiate future collaboration amongst the participating institutions and organisation.
The seminar report is available here
Some of the presentations made at the seminar are available here
A summary of the seminar is published in the ESR Review Vol. 10 No.2 2009.