An Analysis of The International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights

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The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, hereafter the ‘ICESCR’, binds State Parties to take steps to achieve the rights recognized within the treaty. Involved are both core obligations, which are to be realized immediately, and duties to be achieved progressively, through the use of maximum available resources. Once attained, measures are to be taken to ensure those rights are not diminished. Should regression occur, full justification is required. This legal brief will critically analyse the situations in Mythica in order to identify any potential duties assigned in the ICESCR that may have been breached. Following that, it will expound upon which of those prospective violations could be brought before the Optional Protocol, hereafter the ‘OP’, for a remedy.

II. BROAD CASE ANALYSIS OVERVIEW

The ICESCR treaty body, the Committee on Economic, Cultural and Social Rights, hereafter the ‘Committee’, has identified minimum core obligations. In its General Comment 3, hereafter the ‘GC3’, it clarifies that there are basic ‘essential levels’ of all ICESCR rights. These create the minimum core obligations that are to be implemented expeditiously.

The obligation to respect requires States abstain from interfering with the ICESCR rights. The duty to protect calls for States to shield rights-holders from third party violations. The responsibility to fulfil involves States taking action to reach the total realisation of the rights. If any of these are not satisfied, a violation has occurred. Violations can be committed through both action and inaction.

It is the State’s burden to show that it has made every effort to exhaust its resources to satisfy its minimum duties. In addition, it must prov...

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...emiss in its State Reports, where it should indicate if it is experiencing difficulties which keep it from fulfiling its obligations. It will also not have met its responsibility to ask for international assistance and cooperation from the State Parties that have donated.

IV. CONCLUSION: SUBMITTING CASES BEFORE THE PROTOCOL

All domestic remedies must be exhausted prior to being submitted to the Committee. It ought to be mentioned that some of the potential violations occurred recently, and the likelihood that all domestic remedies having been exhausted is not probable. Should a decision be made to file a communication it must be done within one year after that exhaustion, unless there is proof that it was not possible. In these matters, to the victim’s and potential future victims who may be spared based upon outcomes from the OP, time is of the essence.

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