UN committee sets out recommendations to uphold human rights across the UK and in Scotland
/This article was featured in the SCDC Weekly - 19th March 2025
The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has published its latest report on the progress governments across the UK are making to uphold human rights - and what needs to improve.
The seventh of its periodic reports sets outs a series of concerns and recommendations, both new and repeated, to ensure internationally agreed human rights are upheld by the 'State Party' - this includes the UK government, devolved governments, local authorities and crown dependencies.
It has joined many organisations in calling on the Scottish Government to make progress to "incorporate economic, social and economic rights ... through the adoption of human rights bill", which failed to appear in the latest programme for government.
On social policy, the committee outlined its concerns that across the UK "insufficient social spending, particularly in a context of rapidly rising inflation, hampers the progressive realization of economic, social and cultural rights". Governments should, according to the committee, "take all measures necessary to reverse the adverse impact of the austerity measures".
On climate change, the committee was concerned that governments across the UK are "not on track to meet its nationally determined contribution under the [2015] Paris Agreement".
It also set out its concern over the reduction in foreign aid from 0.7% to 0.5%, with the report published before this figure was reduced further to 0.3% by the UK government.
What you need to know this week.
The SCDC Weekly gives you everything you need to know around community development and beyond.
It’s free, concise and delivered directly to your inbox every Wednesday.