Economic, Social & Cultural Rights

Economic, social, and cultural (ESC) rights — including the right to work, the right to an adequate standard of living, the right to health, the right to education, and the right to participate in cultural life — are recognised in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and are directly relevant to business operations and supply chains.

Businesses impact ESC rights through their employment practices (right to work, right to just and favourable conditions), their products and services (right to health, right to food, right to water), their environmental impacts (right to a healthy environment), their community impacts (right to housing, right to education), and their tax practices (affecting governments' ability to fulfil ESC rights). The Maastricht Principles on Extraterritorial Obligations of States in the Area of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights provide guidance on the extraterritorial dimensions of ESC rights.

Further Reading

• UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
• ISO 26000 — Human rights guidance

Related Topics

• Human Rights Due Diligence
• Fundamental Labour Rights
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions