dress

How Human Rights Law Is Evolving to Address Inequality

10 December 2018

Chanu Peiris

Programme Manager, International Law Programme
On the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Chanu Peiris examines how its principles apply to one of today’s burning political issues.

2018-12-10-UDHR.jpg

Copies of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in a variety of languages. Photo: Getty Images.

There is growing attention to human rights in debates on economic inequality. In the UK, concerns about the disproportionate impact of economic policy on vulnerable groups have been raised recently by the UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights – who issued a statement criticizing the Conservative government’s austerity policies – as well as in a report from the UK government’s independent Equality and Human Rights Commission. These reports echo global concerns about fiscal policies, poverty and extreme economic inequality.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights – which celebrates its 70th anniversary today – and the human rights treaties it inspired do not expressly address income and wealth gaps. But international human rights law is playing an increasing role in addressing economic polarization. Those concerned about inequality should consider how, especially over the past 25 years, the principles of socioeconomic rights have been clarified by courts and other human rights mechanisms. 

While the focus in the Global North has historically been on civil and political rights, such as the prohibition on torture or the right to fair trial, international human rights law does set out economic and social rights. For example, Article 23(4) of the Declaration – which is replicated in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and other treaties – calls for the right to collective bargaining in employment. Weakening protection in this area has been raised as a partial cause of the current escalation in income inequality. 

Human rights law also guarantees rights, including to education, healthcare and social security, that have redistributive potential and so have the potential to mitigate inequality.

Human rights law recognizes that fulfilment of economic and social rights, unlike civil and political rights, can be limited by the resources available to different states, and this conditionality – along with a lack of guidelines to assist with implementation and monitoring – has historically shielded fiscal policies from human rights scrutiny. However, attitudes have shifted.

For example, international human rights law has come to embody a commitment to tackling substantive inequalities which impair human dignity.  This requires the state regulate markets, and redistribute resources, in order to prevent discrimination against disadvantaged groups such as the poor. 

The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and other human rights bodies assert that states have an immediate obligation, even during times of resource constraint, to ensure the fulfilment, without discrimination, of the minimum essential levels of socioeconomic rights, for example essential subsistence and basic shelter. Thus, austerity measures that scale back the enjoyment of rights may breach human rights standards. In order to justify such measures, governments need to first demonstrate they have considered ‘less restrictive’ avenues, including taxation options.

Although the application of human rights standards to economic policy is an emerging area, human rights campaigners have been successfully leveraging these protections to address the causes and consequences of the inequality crisis. 

For example, in case No. 66/2011 the European Committee of Social Rights overturned austerity measures that would have brought wages under the poverty level, citing breaches of labour rights and protections against discrimination. In Brazil, a coalition of civil society actors successfully used human rights standards to legitimize their critiques of a 2008 tax reform bill that would have given additional tax breaks to the wealthy while withdrawing resources for social services.

Beyond legal enforcement, framing concerns within the architecture of human rights can shift power to rights-bearers and move debates on tackling extreme inequality from the policy sphere into one where the state has a duty for which it is accountable. While the state bears primary responsibility for realizing human rights, non-state actors such as businesses have responsibilities to respect human rights. Thus, human rights can also help communities to recast the scope of the crisis to one of shared responsibility.

While human rights have seen many normative developments and advocacy successes since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the last 70 years also offer several lessons and strategies to adopt going forward. 

As highlighted at a recent Chatham House event, the continued emphasis on civil and political rights in the discussion about human rights is at odds with the lived experience of individuals and communities worldwide, who may not feel their economic and material concerns are reflected in campaigns for human rights.

There will need to be a greater emphasis on adapting messaging to be more inclusive and to build alliances between disparate groups. Human rights analysis will also need to move beyond documenting the impact of systemic issues towards tackling root causes and creating a positive vision for economic inclusion and governance.




dress

US must address addiction as an illness, not as a moral failing, Surgeon General says




dress

Reimagining Trade Rules to Address Climate Change in a Post-Pandemic World

Webinar Research Event

5 May 2020 - 2:00pm to 3:00pm

Event participants

James Bacchus, Distinguished University Professor of Global Affairs and Director of the Center for Global Economic and Environmental Opportunity at the University of Central Florida; Member and Chair, WTO Appellate Body, 1995 - 2003
Chair: Creon Butler, Director, Global Economy and Finance Programme, Chatham House

This event is part of the Chatham House Global Trade Policy Forum and will take place virtually only.

International trade has a crucial role to play in tackling climate change. The production and transport of goods is a major contributor to green-house gas emissions, as is the delivery of certain cross-border services. At the same time, it looks inevitable that the COVID-19 pandemic will lead to a radical re-think of global supply chains as companies and governments seek to build in greater resilience while at the same time preserving as far as possible the efficiency gains and lower costs that global supply chains generate when operating normally.

Future international trade rules will have a crucial role to play in addressing both challenges; they represent both an opportunity and a risk. If designed well, they could play a very important role in re-enforcing moves towards a more sustainable use of resources, greater overall alignment of economies with the Paris Agreement, and greater economic resilience. But they could also, if poorly designed and implemented, or overly influenced by strategic political considerations, have significant unintended and negative implications. These include: reduced economic efficiency, increased poverty, unnecessary economic decoupling and reduced consensus on the broader mitigation and adaptation measures required to meet the challenge of climate change.

Against this background, a number of key questions arise: In what areas, if any, do we need to modify or adapt key principles underlying the system of global trade rules in order to respond to the twin challenges of responding to climate change and building greater economic resilience?  Which are the most promising/practical areas on which trade policy experts should focus now to re-launch/re-energize discussions on WTO reform, including, for example, dispute settlement? What national economic policies will be needed to complement the development of new/reformed trade disciplines in these areas? How might future political changes, such as a change in the US administration, affect the prospects for and political momentum behind such deliberations? What in any eventuality is the best way to build the required political momentum?
 
This roundtable is convened by the Global Economy and Finance Programme and the US and the Americas Programme and it is part of the Chatham House Global Trade Policy Forum. The event will take place virtually only.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank founding partner AIG and supporting partners Clifford Chance LLP, Diageo plc, and EY for their generous support of the Chatham House Global Trade Policy Forum.

Please note this event is taking place between 2pm to 3pm BST.




dress

Writing a good outpatient letter means addressing it to the patient

In many countries (including the UK and Australia) it is still common practice for hospital doctors to write letters to patients’ general practitioners (GPs) following outpatient consultations, and for patients to receive copies of these letters. However, Hugh Rayner, consultant nephrologist, and Peter Rees, former Chair of the Academy of...




dress

Addressing Resource Conflicts: Working Towards More Effective Resolution of Natural Resource Disputes

Invitation Only Research Event

26 June 2014 - 9:00am to 5:00pm

Chatham House, London

Disputes over resources are a persistent challenge to international peace and security. Natural resources (such as oil, natural gas, minerals, timber and water) are a major source of national income for many countries and, alongside land, are essential to the livelihoods of many millions of people. There is a growing recognition among researchers and decision-makers that in many fragile states disputes over these resources have fed into, and underpinned, violent conflict and instability. 

Although international engagement in national resource disputes is not always desirable or feasible, where it is necessary and possible to support, supplement (or even substitute) national dispute resolution processes it is important to think through the parameters of such action: Who gets involved? With what financial resources? When does an intervention begin? How do they act? 

This one-day roundtable will bring together around 30 experts from policy, academia and business to discuss these questions and more.

The event will be held under the Chatham House Rule. Attendance is by invitation only.

Event attributes

Chatham House Rule

Owen Grafham

Manager, Energy, Environment and Resources Programme
+44 (0)20 7957 5708




dress

To address AML oversight, BOJ creates sandbox for fintech applicants

FOUR MORE applicants are vying to provide mobile payment services in various formats, including one applicant seeking to use phone credit as a cash equivalent, but successful applicants will fall under a new framework the regulator calls its “...




dress

Trump Administration Makes Down Payment on Campaign Pledges to Address Illegal Immigration

In its first year, the Trump administration moved to deliver on some of Donald Trump’s campaign promises on immigration, including ramping up enforcement in the U.S. interior and ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The administration also announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals of some countries. This article explores some of the top policy changes.




dress

Policy Solutions to Address Crisis at Border Exist, But Require Will and Staying Power to Execute

Closing the U.S.-Mexico border and cutting off aid to Central America would only feed the crisis unfolding at key points along the U.S.-Mexico border. This commentary outlines a range of immediate and long-term policy responses that would more effectively address the complex mix of factors fueling rising Central American migration to the United States.




dress

Addressing caries through the lens of social justice, health equity, human rights

It’s a conviction that was published in the November issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association and the basis for the October 2019 forum that Dr. Francisco Ramos-Gomez fostered, where dentists, physicians, nurses and public health and public policy experts proposed, discussed and recommended solutions for preventing early childhood caries through the lens of social justice, health equity and human rights.




dress

ADA begins to address coding, billing procedures during COVID-19 outbreak

The ADA is releasing a guide intended to help dental offices navigate issues related to coding and billing for virtual check-ins in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak.




dress

ADA, recovery task force seek to address PPE shortages

Association staff and members of the ADA Advisory Task Force on Dental Practice Recovery are aware and working diligently in addressing members’ concerns over the limited availability of certain personal protective equipment items.




dress

Two new dental benefit guides address common hurdles anticipated when reopening practices

In the face of economic challenges, the ADA has released two online guides relating to third-party payment programs available at ADA.org/virus that are intended to help smooth the path of reopening practices: Handling Contract Negotiations and Handling Eligibility Verification




dress

Securing the Border: Defining the Current Population Living in the Shadows and Addressing Future Flows

Testimony of Marc Rosenblum before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs for the March 26, 2015 hearing on the characteristics of unauthorized immigrants in the United States and how to address future flows.




dress

The Multicultural Dilemma: Amid Rising Diversity and Unsettled Equity Issues, New Zealand Seeks to Address Its Past and Present

New Zealand drew global attention for its unity and support for the Muslim community targeted during the horrific Christchurch attacks. Yet the country's road to inclusion has been far from straightforward, and amid rising diversity it is grappling with the best way to achieve inclusion for its multiethnic population, including indigenous Māori peoples and migrants. This article outlines the opportunities and challenges to fostering multiculturalism against a backdrop of bicultural policies.




dress

Turning the Tide: Addressing the Long-Term Challenges of EU Mobility for Sending Countries

Amid ongoing debates about the costs and benefits of free movement, this MPI Europe webchat examines big-picture trends of East-West migration; considers possible policy responses at regional, national, and EU levels to alleviate some of the challenges; and reflects on realistic actions that could be taken under the incoming European Commission.




dress

Addressing Trauma in Young Children in Immigrant and Refugee Families through Early Childhood Programs

During this webinar, speakers discuss a MPI policy brief that explores the intersection of trauma and early childhood development, exploring how migration-related trauma and stressors can influence the wellbeing of young children of immigrants, and points to key opportunities for states to support, through early childhood and other programs.




dress

Bbq barramundi, Jamon, minted peas, Dijon mustard dressing & Danish fetta

Delicious fish dish for a summer night.






dress

Turning the Tide: Addressing the Long-Term Challenges of EU Mobility for Sending Countries

Amid ongoing debates about the costs and benefits of free movement, this MPI webinar examines evidence from the EU-funded REMINDER project on different types of East-West mobility. Speakers examine big-picture trends of East-West migration; consider possible policy responses at regional, national, and EU levels to alleviate some of the challenges; and reflect on realistic actions that could be taken under a new European Commission.




dress

Addressing Trauma in Young Children in Immigrant and Refugee Families through Early Childhood Programs

During this webinar, speakers provide an overview of an MPI policy brief that seeks to raise awareness of the intersection of trauma and early childhood development, and how U.S. early childhood programs could more effectively address this trauma in young children in refugee and immigrant households. The participants discuss efforts to integrate trauma-informed approaches into early childhood systems and how home visiting services can effectively address trauma and mental health through a two-generation approach.




dress

What's So Tough About Taking Insulin? Addressing the Problem of Psychological Insulin Resistance in Type 2 Diabetes

William H. Polonsky
Jul 1, 2004; 22:147-150
Practical Pointers




dress

Staff Email Addresses Removed From District Websites to Improve Cybersecurity

Some district technology leaders say having staff email addresses publicly available opens the door for phishing scams and potential hacks.




dress

The Book of Lost Addresses.




dress

Stigma & Resilience Framework : (National strategic framework to address HIV stigma and build resilience capacity for people living with HIV) / written and edited by Brent Allan and Kirsten Machon.

"The HIV resilience framework will be of relevance to a wide range of people involved at all levels of the HIV response. We hope it provides encouragement for government decision makers and policy developers to pursue consistent and enabling policy and legislative environments and work cooperatively between jurisdictions and across departments to achieve best practice. Our consultation suggests that consistent legislation with the goal of supporting strong health outcomes, making disclosure safe, and eliminating stigmatising laws is crucial to creating environments in which people with HIV feel safe to access testing, treatment, and care. The HIV resilience framework also contains valuable insights for those who have responsibility for HIV health program management and service delivery, providing guidance to help ensure that programs, services, interventions or strategies supporting people living with HIV are developed and delivered in a way that is mindful of the interlinked twin goals of building personal resilience and eliminating stigma and discrimination." --President's message (page 6).




dress

Addressing modern slavery / Justine Nolan and Martijn Boersma.

Human trafficking.




dress

Idaho Educators Who Dressed Up as the Border Wall Put on Administrative Leave

After photos surfaced of staff at dressed in Halloween costumes as Mexicans and a border wall bearing the slogan "Make America Great Again," the employees responsible won't be returning to their classrooms on Monday.




dress

An episode in The merry wives of Windsor: Sir John Falstaff is invited to a tryst in Windsor Forest at night, dressed in bizarre clothing: he is attacked by children dressed as fairies and by the merry wives. Stipple engraving by I. Taylor, 1795, after R.

[London], [1795]




dress

Tuberculosis statistics : summary of the report / addressed by Dr. S. Rosenfeld (Vienna) to the Health Committee of the Leage of Nations.

England : League of Nations, 1925.




dress

Illuminated address presented to Andrew Lynch, 1925




dress

Item 05: William Hilton Saunders WWI 1916-1919 address book with poetry




dress

Tony Rudd - Machadaynu (remix by The Freelance Hairdresser) - *Official Video*       [3m15s]


Original audio available as an mp3 from: http://soundcloud.com/the-freelance-hairdresser - also visit http://www.soundhog.co.uk for the rest [...]




dress

Covid-19 and operational resilience: addressing financial institutions' operational challenges in a pandemic

FSI Briefs No 2, April 2020. Guidance issued by financial sector authorities in response to the Covid-19 crisis seems to suggest that international efforts to come up with operational resilience standards should take into account at least the following elements: Critical/essential employees: identifying the critical functions and employees that support important business services, as well as ensuring employees' safety and that they can safely resume their duties (remotely, if necessary); IT infrastructure: ensuring that IT infrastructure can support a sharp increase in usage over an extended period and taking steps to safeguard information security; Third-party service providers: ensuring that external service providers and/or critical suppliers are taking adequate measures and are sufficiently prepared for a scenario in which there will be heavy reliance on their services; Cyber resilience: remaining vigilant in order to identify and protect vulnerable systems, and detect, respond and recover from cyber attacks..




dress

Salesforce Revamps Work.com to Help Businesses Address Pandemic

Salesforce has announced a new version of Work.com designed to help businesses function safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Work.com is a completely new initiative using an existing domain name that we previously owned," said Salesforce spokesperson Joel Steinfeld. "Our focus is on speed and moving as quickly as possible to help our customers, and Work.com is an optimal way to do that.




dress

Lambton County resident pleads with officials to address dangerous intersection

Lambton County resident Joeleen DeGurse-MacDonald still has memories of the fatal vehicle collisions she's witnessed at the intersection of Kimball Road and Petrolia Line. Now in her 50s, DeGurse-MacDonald said she vividly remembers an accident that took place when she was only five-years-old, eating a pear picked from an orchard on her family's farm at the northest intersection of Kimball and Petrolia. 



  • News/Canada/Windsor

dress

Lecture series to address how to make sense of COVID-19 projections

David Dowdy, associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, will deliver the presentation “Simple Principles for Interpreting Complex Models: How to Make Sense of COVID-19 Projections,” at 4 p.m. via Zoom webinar on Thursday, April 30, as the next presentation in its Dean’s Lecture Series: Perspectives on the Pandemic.




dress

Lecture to address mental health and the COVID-19 Pandemic

The College of Health and Human Development will host M. Daniele Fallin, Sylvia and Harold Halpert Professor in Mental Health and chair of the Department of Mental Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, at 4 p.m. via Zoom Webinar on Thursday, May 7, for the next presentation in its Dean’s Lecture Series: Perspectives on the Pandemic. This presentation, “Mental Health and the COVID Pandemic,” will summarize recent findings on the psychological effects of the pandemic, as well as offer some strategies for prevention and intervention as the pandemic, and its after-effects, continue.




dress

Bringing hope, help—and dresses—to Cambodia

OM Ships partners with Christian ministries and celebrates four years of service for Logos Hope.




dress

Addressing Key Issues in Adolescent Health Care




dress

Ed-Tech Groups to Congress: More Than $5 Billion Needed to Address Internet Access Gaps

Schools need help from the federal government to prepare millions of U.S. students for remote learning this fall and beyond.




dress

Why Do Schools Hang On to Discriminatory Dress Codes?

School dress codes are clashing with students, parents, and researchers who see the rules and their enforcement as rife with racism and sexism. Some school leaders say the codes are important for safety and teaching kids to comply.




dress

Title IX Rule Details How K-12 Schools Must Address Sexual Harassment, Assault

The Education Department outlines when and how schools must respond to reports of sexual assault and harassment under the Trump administration's interpretation of Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex discrimination.




dress

How Should Schools Address Bullying?

The new question of the week is: How can teachers and administrators best address bullying in school?




dress

Addressing Social Determinants of Health at Well Child Care Visits: A Cluster RCT

Although pediatric professional guidelines emphasize addressing a child’s social environment in the context of well child care, it remains unclear whether screening for unmet basic needs at visits increases low-income families’ receipt of community-based resources.

This study demonstrates that systematically screening and referring for social determinants of health during primary care can lead to the receipt of more community resources for families. (Read the full article)




dress

How to Set Up a Static IP Address

DHCP is fine, unless you're looking to perform advanced networking tasks. Here's how to set a Static IP address (or DHCP reservation) for any device on your network.




dress

Third Circuit Chief Judge to deliver 2020 Penn State Law commencement address

D. Brooks Smith, Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, will deliver the Penn State Law in University Park 2020 commencement address on May 16 in Eisenhower Auditorium.




dress

Google Announces Company Holiday To Address Work From Home Burnout

Alphabet Inc's Google said on Friday it has asked employees to take a day off on May 22, to address work-from-home-related burnout during the coronavirus pandemic.




dress

National Governors Association Releases Report on Strategies to Address Public Health Crises

Delaware one of 11 participating states vetting strategies around crises such as Hepatitis C and opioid use disorder WILMINGTON, Del. — Delaware was one of 11 states that vetted potential strategies through the National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices to address public health crises such as Hepatitis C and opioid use disorder by […]




dress

Pew Report to Lt. Governor Hall-Long Outlines Steps for Delaware to Address Opioid Use Disorder

Recommendations focus on systemic changes and expanding treatment options   New Castle, Del. – On Thursday, Lt. Governor Hall-Long joined members of Delaware’s Behavioral Health Consortium, community advocates, and elected officials to accept recommendations from The Pew Charitable Trusts aimed at reforming Delaware’s addiction treatment system. Pew Charitable Trusts has been working in partnership with […]



  • Delaware Health and Social Services
  • Division of Public Health
  • Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long
  • Office of the Lieutenant Governor

dress

Child Support Division Needs Updated Mailing Addresses

NEW CASTLE (Nov. 13, 2019) – In early 2020, the Delaware Division of Child Support Services (DCSS) will be teaming up with U.S. Bank to issue a new prepaid debit card, the U.S. Bank ReliaCard®, for child support recipients to receive their payments electronically. The ReliaCard will replace the current First State Family Card. In […]



  • Delaware Health and Social Services
  • News
  • child
  • Division of Child Support Services
  • ReliaCard