A/78/213
the cultural development of and for development projects in their society, or for taking
part in their monitoring. 82
C.
Human rights economy
79. The concept of a human rights economy, 83 as put forward by the Office of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, may be a way forward to place
the spotlight on development that better serves global justice and cultural rights. A
human rights economy seeks to address the root causes of structural barriers to
equality, justice and sustainability, by prioritizing investment in economic, social and
cultural rights. Such work acknowledges that economic growth on its own will not
redress structural injustices or fulfil people’s human rights. The proposed human
rights economy model would have as its goal and mission the creation of conditions
for people to enjoy peace, justice, equality, freedom, well-being and dignity in a
healthy and sustainable environment.
80. In his concept of a human rights economy, which is already being implemented
in countries such as Jordan and Kenya 84 and should be presented in more official
terms soon, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights intends to
uphold economic, social and cultural rights on an equal footing with civil and political
rights, address structural barriers and other impediments to equality, justi ce and
sustainable growth, and ensure that economic, industrial and trade policies,
investment decisions, consumer protections and business models are guided by
human rights norms and standards. Making that concept a reality will require
recognizing the specificity of each context, including the diverse and sometimes harsh
legacies of the past. 85
81. In this model of people-centred cooperation and global partnership,
international human rights obligations should be binding parameters of the
international system, and it is the hope of the Special Rapporteur that all actors in the
international financial system will be reminded of their duty to consider the impact
of their operations on human rights, equality and the environment, including in debt
sustainability, loan agreements and private sector financing.
V. Conclusions and recommendations
82. International development and trade organizations are currently failing to
respect cultural rights: IMF rejects its responsibility to respect cultural rights;
WIPO has not fully grasped the wide concept of culture and connections between
all its work and cultural rights; the World Bank does not press States to respect
cultural rights when they clash with economic development or other interests;
WTO prioritizes other rights and interests; UNESCO has not yet fully
operationalized cultural rights in its work on the cultural dimension of
development; and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees and other organizations have not fully engaged with their possible
linkages with cultural rights. Finally, most, if not all, organizations have not yet
developed clear processes that mitigate and prevent violations of cultural rights
and advance their realization in development. States have an important role to
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83
84
85
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Contributions of Bahrain; Cuba; and Grupo de estudio sobre derechos culturales .
See www.ohchr.org/en/sdgs/seeding-change-economy-enhances-human-rights-surge-initiative.
See www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2023/04/supporting-human-rights-economy-kenya and
www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2023/04/building-economies-place-peoples-human-rights-center for
more details.
See, for example, the contribution of Maat for Peace.
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