The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) is a body of independent experts that monitors implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). ICESCR protects rights such as housing, health and education, those essential conditions needed to live a life of dignity and freedom.
Every four to eight years the UK is examined by CESCR to see how well people in the UK are able to enjoy these rights and where the UK Government needs to improve its work to realise them.
The final report from seventh periodic review of the UK (known as the concluding observations) was released in March 2025 and Just Fair is working to hold UK governments accountable for implementing the recommendations in the concluding observations.
This page brings together more information on the upcoming review, background on the Covenant and Committee, and Just Fair’s work.
If you’re interested in getting involved in the next review of the UK by CESCR or would like any more information about the process or our work, sign up to the UK ESCR Network today!
Putting the 2025 concluding Observations into action
Just Fair analysis of the concluding observations
We believe that the 2025 set of concluding observations will be useful for civil society’s advocacy and campaigning efforts, as the observations are often precise and clearly outline the actions needed.
To help people navigate the concluding observations, we’ve put together an analysis. The analysis does not aim to be exhaustive, given the wide scope of the concluding observations. Instead, it outlines some of Just Fair’s thinking on key areas.
The analysis is organised into sections which allows reading on a thematic basis, by ICESCR right. We have also organised the information by protected groups at the sharpest end of rights violations so this can be tracked across the various rights. We hope that this will make it easier to navigate.
Blogs on the concluding observations
Below are a number of blogs Just Fair staff has written on the concluding observations and specific issues they raise:
- Housing as a human right: challenging profit-driven development – Guest blog by Dr Rachel Parker
- Did Labour’s promise of a fairer asylum system just collapse?
- The UK is failing on hunger — Labour must put the right to food into law
- Time to make rights real in law and practice
- Marking International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia
- Mental health – It’s time to talk about rights
- Rights at work are human rights
- 15 Years On: The broken promise of the Child Poverty Act
- A wake-up call from Geneva: the UN’s critical assessment of the UK’s human rights record
Op-eds on the concluding observations
&Just Fair staff have written a number of op eds that have appeared in the media in the UK including:
- Did Labour just abandon its promise for a fairer asylum system? – The Big Issue, 3 June 2025, by Alex Firth & Michael Garcia Bochenek (Human Rights Watch)
- The UK is failing on hunger — Labour must put the right to food into law – The Mirror Online – 21 May 2025, by Alex Firth & Ian Byrne MP
- ‘Record-high child homelessness should be a turning point for Labour’ – Labour List, 1 May 2025, by Alex Firth
- It’s 15 years since the UK government promised to end child poverty. Time to revive that ambition – The Big Issue, 26 March 2025, by Alex Firth
UK Parliamentary questions
A number of Members of Parliament from different parties have asked written questions based on issues raised in the concluding observations. You can view these questions below:
- Ian Byrne MP – question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- Clive Lewis MP – question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
- Ellie Chowns MP – question to the Ministry of Justice
- John McDonnell MP – question to the Treasury
- Seamus Logan MP – question to Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, question to to Home Office, question to the Treasury, question to the Cabinet Office, question to the Department for Work and Pensions, and question for the Ministry of Justice.
Concluding observations in the media
The concluding observations have made the news across the UK. We’ve collated some examples below:
- ‘Shocking’ lack of urgency from Westminster to protect welfare rights of citizens – Aberdeen Business News, 2 May 2025
- UN tells Starmer: scrap 2-child benefit cap and increase benefits – SKWAWKBOX, 8 March 2025
- UN calls for ‘corrective measures’ to Tory disability benefit reforms, just as Labour prepares cuts of its own – Disability News Service, 6 March 2025
- UN criticises failure to appoint language and culture commissioners – BBC News, 5 March 2025
- UN calls for stronger measures to combat intimidation of migrants by paramilitaries in Northern Ireland – The Irish Times – 4 March 2025
- UN calls on Labour to increase benefits and scrap two-child limit in UK poverty crisis warning – The Big Issue, 4 March 2025
- DWP two-child benefit limit should be axed, says major UN report – Mirror Online, 3 March 2025
- Tackling child poverty in Britain must be made a priority– The Guardian, 12 February 2025
General Comments
As well as writing to the Committee as part of the review of the UK, we also send evidence to the Committee on specific issues, including to help inform their ‘General Comments‘.
PERIODIC REVIEWS OF THE UK BY CESCR
Seventh periodic review - submission to the review (2025)
Our submission to the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights as part of their review of the UK, was compiled based on input from over 30 civil society organisations.
The submission reveals a troubling picture of economic, social and cultural rights in the UK, pervasive inequalities, with marginalised communities experiencing multiple rights violations.
To see a full list of the evidence we received informing this report, click here.
