ICESCR concluding observations 2025, paragraph 7
Plain English recommendation
Government should:
(a) Independently review laws and policies connected to economic, social and cultural rights, working with the governments of Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Crown dependencies and overseas territories. This should ensure that the rights in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) are fully protected in law and that people whose rights are violated can access justice, in line with UN advice on how the ICESCR should apply domestically;
(b) Ensure that any changes to the Human Rights Act 1998 strengthen protections found in international human rights laws and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) in all areas of the UK and its jurisdictions;
(c) Do more to pass laws that incorporate economic, social and cultural rights in Scotland and Wales. This includes adopting a human rights bill and quickly passing and adopting a bill of rights for Northern Ireland.
Original UN recommendation
Recalling its previous recommendations, the Committee urges the State Party:
(a) To undertake an independent review of the legal and policy framework for economic, social and cultural rights, along with the devolved governments in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the Crown dependencies and the overseas territories, to ensure that the rights in the Covenant are given full legal effect and that victims of violations of those rights have full access to effective judicial and non-judicial remedies, guided by the Committee’s general comment No. 9 (1998) on the domestic application of the Covenant;
(b) To ensure that any amendments to the Human Rights Act 1998 reinforce the status of international human rights instruments and the Covenant provisions in all jurisdictions;
(c) To make progress on the legislative framework to incorporate economic, social and cultural rights in Scotland and Wales, including through the adoption of a human rights bill, and expedite the adoption of a bill of rights for Northern Ireland.
Date of UN examination
12/03/2025
Original UN document
Download the original ICESCR concluding observations 2025 on the UN website.
Last updated on 21/08/2025