Over the last few months, we have worked with the Growing Rights Instead of Poverty Partnership (GRIPP), to support their development and submission of a joint report to the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) as part of the committee’s review of the UK. 

This report was compiled with evidence from people with direct experience of economic, social, and cultural rights violations (see here for information on this process). 

We are delighted that the Summer 2023 issue of the Amnesty International UK member’s magazine spotlighted this report and the voices of the individual activists who undertook the work.

From London to Manchester, Stockton-on-Tees to Orkney, people like Rahwa, Patricia and Tracey are ensuring that people in communities talk directly to representatives of the United Nations and challenge perceptions of what a human rights expert is.

Following the release of the List of Issues by CESCR, we continue to work with GRIPP to look at what impact their report and the oral evidence they presented has had on the committee.

During a recent meeting with GRIPP members we highlighted that CESCR had requested further information of the UK Government on many issues that GRIPP had raised in their report including those relating to:

• discrimination in realising economic, social and cultural rights
• levels and access to social security
• child protection services
• the impact of Covid-19 on the NHS
• implementation of comprehensive mental health strategies

We note that the rights of children and young people in the care system in the UK had not been touched upon by CESCR in any depth until ATD Fourth World, a member of GRIPP, submitted their evidence.

As the review of the UK Government by CESCR continues, we look forward to working with GRIPP and other civil society groups, to support those with direct experience of economic, social and cultural rights violations to have their voices heard by the United Nations.