10:00–12:00 and 15:00-17:00

In its resolution 49/19, the Human Rights Council requested the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to convene a three-day workshop that will bring together key stakeholders for a discussion on practical ways to further enhance and strengthen the promotion and protection of economic, social and cultural rights within the context of addressing inequalities in the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Video recordings

• High-level opening session and Session 1 - Global prospects on economic, social and cultural rights
• Session 2 - Critical reflection on progress, challenges and the future of economic, social and cultural rights
• Session 3 - Measurement and elimination of global poverty and inequalities
• Session 4 - Investing in social spending, tackling inequalities and promoting economic policies that advance greater realization of economic, social and cultural rights
• Session 5 - Strengthening the capacity of OHCHR to operationalize economic, social and cultural rights
• Session 6 - Promotion and protection of economic, social and cultural rights by the Human Rights Council and Closing session

High-level opening session

• Mr. Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
• H.E. Mr. Václav Bálek, President of the Human Rights Council
• H.E. Ms. Claudia Fuentes Julio, Permanent Representative of Chile the United Nations Office in Geneva
• H.E. Mr. Xu Chen, Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations Office in Geneva
• H.E. Mr. Alexandros Papaioannou, Permanent Representative of Greece to the United Nations Office in Geneva
• H.E. Mr. Rui Macieira, Permanent Representative of Portugal to the United Nations Office in Geneva
• H.E. Mr. Mxolisi Nkosi, Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations Office in Geneva
• H.E. Ms. Suphatra Srimaitreephithak, Permanent Representative of Thailand to the United Nations Office in Geneva
• H.E. Ms. Michèle Taylor, Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations Human Rights Council
• Mr. Guy Ryder, Under-Secretary-General for Policy, Executive Office of the United Nations Secretary-General

Presentations of the panellists

Session 1: Global prospects on economic, social and cultural rights

• Ms. Meghna Abraham, Executive Director, Center for Economic and Social Rights
• Ms. Yanghee Lee, Professor Emeritus, Sungkyunkwan University
• Ms. Soledad García Muñoz, Special Rapporteur on Economic, Social, Cultural and Environmental Rights, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
• Ms. Sandra Liebenberg, Professor of Human Rights Law, Stellenbosch University
• Mr. Arif Bulkan, Appellate Judge, High Court of Belize

Session 2: Critical reflection on progress, challenges and the future of economic, social and cultural rights

• Ms. Tlaleng Mofokeng, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
• Mr. Seree Nonthasoot, Member of the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
• Ms. Shahra Razavi, Director of Social Protection Department, ILO · Mr. Luke Holland, Network and Partners Manager, Tax Justice Network
• Ms. Haina Lu, Executive Director of the Human Rights Center, Renmin University of China

Session 3: Measurement and elimination of global poverty and inequalities

• Mr. Olivier De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
• Mr. Jose Antonio Cuesta Leiva, Lead Economist, The World Bank
• Mr. Robert Walker, Beijing Normal University and Professor Emeritus and Emeritus Fellow of Green Templeton College, University of Oxford
• Ms. Rachel Gisselquist, Senior Research Fellow, UNU-WIDER
• Ms. Lena Simet, Senior Researcher on Poverty and Inequality, Human Rights Watch

Session 4: Investing in social spending, tackling inequalities and promoting economic policies that advance greater realization of economic, social and cultural rights

• Ms. Jayati Ghosh, Professor of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
• Ms. Attiya Waris, UN Independent Expert on foreign debt, other international financial obligations and human rights
• Ms. Magdalena Sepúlveda Carmona, Executive Director of the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
• Mr. Jian Chang, Professor of Zhou Enlai School of Government, Nankai University
• Ms. Mariana Mazzucato, Professor, Economics of Innovation and Public Value, University College London

Session 5: Strengthening the capacity of OHCHR to operationalize economic, social and cultural rights

• H.E. Ms. Claudia Fuentes Julio, Permanent Representative of Chile to the United Nations Office in Geneva
• H.E. Mr. Marc Bichler, Permanent Representative of Luxembourg to the United Nations Office in Geneva
• Mr. Rahmat bin Mohamad, Chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia
• Ms. Helena Fraser, Director of Policy and Programming Branch, United Nations Development Coordination Office
• Mr. Saman Zia-Zarifi, Secretary General, International Commission of Jurists
• Ms. Lena Simet, Senior Researcher on Poverty and Inequality, Human Rights Watch
• Mr. Todd Howland, Chief of Development and Economic and Social Issues Branch, OHCHR

Session 6: Promotion and protection of economic, social and cultural rights by the Human Rights Council

• H.E. Ms. Maira Mariela Macdonal Alvarez, Permanent Representative of Bolivia to the United Nations Office in Geneva
• H.E. Mr. Rui Macieira, Permanent Representative of Portugal to the United Nations Office in Geneva
• Ms. Preeti Saran, Member of the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
• Ms. Malavika Vartak, Researcher/Adviser on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Amnesty International
• Ms. Meghna Abraham, Executive Director, Center for Economic and Social Rights
• Mr. Christophe Golay, Senior Research Fellow and Strategic Adviser on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights

Closing session

• H.E. Mr. Ahmed Ihab Abdelahad Gamaleldin, Permanent Representative of Egypt to the United Nations Office in Geneva
• Ms. Nada Al-Nashif, United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights
• Ms. Virginia Brás Gomes, Chair of the workshop

Interventions from the floor and other written documents submitted for the workshop

• Belgium
• Colombia
• India
• Russia – Session 2, Session 5, Session 6
• Tunisia
• Venezuela – Session 2, Session 3
• Zimbabwe

• Abdulghani Ali
• Centre Europe Tiers Monde – Session 2, Session 3, Session 5, Session 6
• Coalition for Human Rights in Development
• Family Frontiers
• Make Mothers Matter
• Mazzucato Mariana
• OIDEL – Session 2, Session 4

Background information:

• Panellists (bios)
• Concept Note
• Draft programme of work
• Call for inputs
• Guidance for speaker's list
• Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on “Promoting and protecting economic, social and cultural rights within the context of addressing inequalities in the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic” (A/HRC/51/20)