Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Person holding a sign up in a protest which reads "The Cost of Living Crisis is State Inflicted Poverty"

Person holding a sign up in a protest which reads "The Cost of Living Crisis is State Inflicted Poverty"

Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR) affect all of us in our everyday lives. They influence our quality of life including our education, our work, our health, our homes, the food on our tables and how the state will step in if things go wrong, and we need financial or other help.

These rights are based on the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) which the UK signed up to in 1976. Sadly our ESCR rights are not protected in law within the UK and therefore are difficult to get justice for if they are violated.

We believe our rights should be protected. We are campaigning for them to be enshrined in law, and will continue to hold the UK accountable for its commitments.

What Are Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR)?

Economic, social, and cultural rights (ESCR) are for individuals' well-being and dignity; and they are about the rights we need to live our lives on a daily basis, the food we eat, the homes we live in, the education we can offer to our kids.

England: Homelessness Report - An Obstacle Course (2022)

For too long, homelessness in England has been explained as the failure of the individual to cope with the stresses and strains of life. Explore our 2022 Report on homelessness assistance and the right to housing in England, and read our recommendations.

Amnesty International UK's Care Homes Report 2020

As lockdown began, thousands of patients were sent from hospitals into care homes. In three months 18,562 people living in Care Homes died with COVID-19. Our report As if Expendable highlights the UK Government's failure to protect older people in care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before Our Eyes

'Before Our Eyes' is a short film by Amnesty International UK with Olivia Colman and Adrian Lester to engage and educate the public on the very real threat to human rights in the UK.

UK: After 100 days in office Government must speed up pace of restoring human rights

Amnesty issues key human rights calls on asylum, Northern Ireland, arms to Israel, homelessness, and protests

Our everyday rights

Our Everyday Rights

We spoke to people in Scotland, Wales, and England to learn more about everyday rights violations in the UK. Our findings show how the social safety net is crumbling, leaving many people without their rights. Read the voices from the frontline of the fight for everyday rights for a more in-depth look at the reality of everyday rights violations in the UK.

UK: New human rights ad campaign launched at London underground station

Giant Westminster station posters feature yellow-and-black hazard tape with ‘a lot needs fixing’ message

UK: Call for Starmer government to put in place ‘human rights renaissance’

Call for ‘rights renaissance’, with to-do list including an immediate suspension of arms to Israel, scrapping of Rwanda Act, Troubles Act and anti-protest measures, and tackling homelessness crisis

Can we expect the next government to Make Homelessness History?

Homelessness has worsened significantly since the last election. So why have most of the parties vying for power appear to dedicate much less word count and made far fewer concrete commitments in manifestos to tackling homelessness?

Read our analysis and what people experiencing homelessness tell us THEY want to see.

Presenting A Reality Check About Poverty In The UK Directly To The United Nations

The deepening conditions of poverty in the UK are a human rights violation. Now, people living through it have presented a powerful reality check directly to the United Nations.

Amnesty Human Rights Academy: Learn About Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

This course covers the global scope of specific ESCR, including social security, housing, work, water, food, education and health. Take our course on how ESCR generally provide a basis to fight poverty and inequality, and receive an Amnesty International certificate.

Leading human rights organisations join call for UK social security to Guarantee our Essentials

5 human rights organisations, Just Fair, Amnesty International UK, Human Rights Watch, René Cassin & Liberty join the Guarantee our Essentials campaign, calling for Universal Credit to be legally required to cover a minimum that allows people to realise their rights.

UK: More than 11,000 people join call for housing to be made a human right

11,000 joined Amnesty International UK to call on the UK Government to make access to safe and affordable housing a human right for all in England - with this right enshrined in law - in a petition that Amnesty has handed to Michael Gove at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Abortion rights

Abortion in Ireland and Northern Ireland

Abortion is healthcare and a human right. It has been 3 years since the decriminalisation of abortion in Northern Ireland- but commissioned abortion services are still not established.

Coronavirus and human rights

As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads, our basic human rights must be at the heart of all law changes governments put in place to protect our health and wellbeing.

Forced evictions

They're on the increase: disasters where groups of people are made homeless - sometimes thousands at a time, including young children and elderly and sick people. They lose their home, livelihood, possessions and social structures. These disasters are entirely predictable. Find out what we're doing to stop the growing crime of forced evictions.

Demand Dignity campaign briefing: Roma in Europe

The Roma are one of Europe's oldest and largest ethnic minorities, and also one of the most disadvantaged. Across the continent Romani people are routinely denied their rights to housing, health care, education and work, and many are subjected to forced eviction, racist assault and police ill-treatment.

Abortion decriminalised in Northern Ireland

It has been over three years since abortion was decriminalised in Northern Ireland, and yet commissioned abortion services are still not set up in the region. Our fight continues.

End homelessness

End the Homelessness Crisis

Our housing system is like a toppled set of dominos, with record numbers of people, including children, experiencing homelessness. Without swift action, the situation will only get worse. Sign the petition to help make homelessness history.