UN protocol will open new route to justice for millions, Amnesty

Unpublished
London - On 5 May 2013, a new UN mechanism enters into force that will go a long way towards guaranteeing economic, social and cultural rights for millions of people around the world.

The Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights establishes a complaints mechanism which could be a vital tool for people - especially those living in poverty - to hold their government accountable if these crucial rights are denied. Ten countries have ratified it to date.

Governments routinely flout international law protecting such rights, and the Protocol will allow people in the countries that have ratified to have their case heard by an independent panel of experts at the UN.

For example, it could help people who have been forcibly evicted from their homes to access justice and an effective remedy.

Amnesty International can provide dozens of cases where people are denied access to justice in their countries, interviews with spokespeople, background information, video and photo material, as well as contacts for local activists whose lives will be directly affected by the Protocol.

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