Safeguarding human rights in times of economic crisis

Summary:

Europeans are living through the deepest economic recession since World War II. What began as a meltdown in the global financial system in 2008 has been transformed into a new political reality of austerity which threatens over six decades of social solidarity and expanding human rights protection across Council of Europe member states.

Austerity measures have exacerbated the already severe human consequences of the economic crisis marked by record levels of unemployment. The whole spectrum of human rights has been affected and many vulnerable groups of people have been hit disproportionately. Poverty, including child deprivation, is deepening and is likely to have long-term effects. The economic crisis is also undermining the capacity of central and local authorities to ensure human rights protection.

Human rights provide a universal normative framework and operational redlines within which governments’ economic and social policies must function. This Issue Paper provides practical guidance to governments in navigating the historic opportunities and difficult policy choices they face in upholding human rights in times of economic constraint. The critical role of ombudsmen, human rights commissions and equality bodies is also highlighted.

The Commissioner for Human Rights proposes a set of actionable recommendations which help forge a new path along which governments can align their economic recovery policies with their commitments for human rights. It is necessary to reinvigorate the European social model based on the foundation of human dignity, inter-generational solidarity and access to justice for all.

Council of Europe: Issue Papers: Safeguarding human rights in times of economic crisis [Alternative Link] https://rm.coe.int/safeguarding-human-rights-in-times-of-economic-crisis-issue-paper-publ/16806daa3f

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