ESR Review

This issue of the ESR Review coincides with the celebration of Human Rights Day in Africa on 21 October, which commemorates the coming into force of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Charter).

This first issue of the ESR Review for 2013 focuses on the Millennium Development Goals. As they draw near, recent debate has focused on the post-­2015 agenda.

The third issue of the ESR Review focusses on the impact of corruption within Africa that contributes to poverty and unemployment and denial of access to housing and health-care services. There are also summaries of recent developments on socio-economic rights across the world.

This second issue of 2012 focusses on monitoring of state performance relating to the realisation of social and economic rights using the Social and Economic Rights Fulfilment Index, an interview with the UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights and updates on the recent ILO Convention on Decent Work for Domestic Workers 2011, and the International Labour Organisation Social Protection Floors Recommendation 2012.

This is the first ESR issue of 2012. This issue focuses on gender mainstreaming, racial inequality, the link between access to socio-economic rights and the right to dignity, as well as the application of international standards and norms in South Africa’s domestic case law.

This is the fourth issue of the ESR Review for 2011. Its articles discuss various areas of socio-economic rights, with a particular emphasis on how they relate to women’s lives. In an acknowledgment of the importance of women’s rights, Michelle Bachelet, the Under- Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, emphasises that ‘where laws and justice systems work well, they can provide an essential mechanism for women to realise their human rights. However, it also underscores the fact that, despite widespread guarantees of equality, the reality for many millions of women is that justice remains out of reach’ (UN progress report of the world’s women 2011– 2012, In pursuit of justice).

This is the third issue of the ESR Review for 2011. It is a special issue that focuses on and explores the interplay between access to socio-economic rights in the context of persons with disabilities and the needs of persons with disabilities to have economic and social security.