Strengthening international labour rights and UN human rights standards: The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and Freedom of Association
One of the most important foundational documents for the protection of labour rights generally and freedom of association, is the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), ratified by 173 UN Member States. The Covenant enshrines a series of essential rights to work and in work including freedom of association as a collective right in Article 8. As the Body entrusted with monitoring the Covenant, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) has over the years analysed several of its articles through General Comments but has not yet issued any General Comment on the collective rights enshrined in Article 8 ICESCR with respect to freedom of association and collective bargaining.
On the occasion of the publication by the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) of an edited volume on ‘The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Employment Relation’, the Geneva Human Rights Platform is hosting, in collaboration with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), the International Labour Office and Members of the CESCR, an open discussion on the strengthening of international labour rights and human rights standards with focus on freedom of association.
The event aims, inter alia, to discuss the need for, and possible elements of a General Comment on Article 8. The recent publication on the ICESCR offers an excellent background and context for the debate, as one of its main aims is to make the ICESCR more widely known to experts on the employment relationship and labour rights thereby facilitating further partnerships for the promotion of the Covenant and the rights enshrined in it, including freedom of association.
The event will take place on 23 September 2025 during the CESCR’s 78th session in Geneva.
Programme
Chairs:
- Felix Kirchmeier, Executive Director of the Geneva Human Rights Platform
- Adelle Blackett, Senior Advisor to the Director-General of the ILO
18.30 – 19.00 Introduction: International human rights and labour standards in a world in turmoil
- Preeti Saran, Chair of the CESCR (tbc)
- Michael Windfuhr, Member of the CESCR, Deputy Director of the German Institute for Human Rights, Germany
- Karen Curtis, Chief, Freedom of Association Branch, International Labour Standards Department, ILO
- Plamen Dimitrov, Chair of the Human and Trade Union Rights Committee, ITUC
19.00 – 19.30 Strengthening employment-related human rights in the ICESCR
- Towards a ‘General Comment’ on Article 8 ICESCR
Klaus Lörcher, Former Legal and Human Rights Advisor to the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)] - Using ICESCR procedures effectively
Niklas Bruun, Professor (emeritus) of Law at Hanken School of Economics, Helsinki, Finland - Better implementation of the ICESCR in the employment field
Ana Ribeiro, Assistant Professor of Labour Law at Porto Faculty of Law, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Portugal
19.30 – 19.50 Discussion
19.50 – 20.00 Concluding remarks on the way forward
Some refreshments will be offered