Event information

11 May 2021, 14:30-16:30

Downloads

Agenda >

Draft General Comment on Land and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Event

Pisciculture in Bengamis, Democratic Republic of the Congo Pisciculture in Bengamis, Democratic Republic of the Congo

The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights is developing a General Comment on land and economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR) to clarify the specific obligations of state parties relating to land and the governance of land tenure under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

By way of public consultation, the Committee invites interested individuals and organizations, including states, National Human Rights Institutions, civil society organizations, academics, international and regional organizations and experts, to make a written contribution to the draft general comment.

The draft General Comment (draft text in English) recognises the broad and complex relationship between land and human rights. It proposes more general and holistic guidance for policy in this area than has previously been available. Consequently, if and when adopted, this General Comment is likely to influence policy and law on land governance and management.

This online event – co-organized by the Geneva Human Rights Platform, UN-Habitat, the Global Land Tool Network, the Geneva Cities Hub, the Habitat International Coalition – will discuss the draft General Comment on land and ESCR and its links with the UN human rights treaty body system, the UN Declaration on the rights of peasants and the UN Declaration and Expert Mechanism on the rights of indigenous peoples. 

Agenda

Discover the agenda.

Video

Draft General Comment on Land and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Watch the online event –  which discussed the draft General Comment on land and ESCR and its links with the UN human rights treaty body system, the UN Declaration on the rights of peasants and the UN Declaration and Expert Mechanism on the rights of indigenous peoples.

 

MORE ON THIS THEMATIC AREA

Geneva Academy Briefing No.25 News

New Academy Briefing Calls for Stronger Engagement of Local and Regional Governments in Human Rights and SDG Monitoring

11 March 2025

The Geneva Academy’s latest publication explores how cities, municipalities, and regional authorities are becoming key players in global human rights governance.

Read more

GTI Logo News

In Highlight: Global Torture Index

26 June 2025

Via its DHRTTDs Directory, the Geneva Human Rights Platform provides a comprehensive list and description of such key tools and databases. But how to navigate them? Which tool should be used for what, and by whom? This interview helps us understand better the specificities of the current highlight of the directory: Global Torture Index

Read more

Local Government Event

Enhancing National Reporting and Implementation of Human Rights through Coordinated Engagement at the Local and Regional Levels: The Role of NMIRFs

23 July 2025, 10:00-17:00

This seminar explores how national mechanisms for implementation, reporting and follow-up can better integrate the capacities, data, and experiences of local and regional governments in advancing human rights implementation and reporting.

Read more

Training

Human Rights and the Environment: Introducing Legal Regimes and Key Issues

1-8 September 2025

Participants in this training course will be introduced to the major international and regional instruments for the promotion of human rights, as well as international environmental law and its implementation and enforcement mechanisms.

Read more

Town Hall Meeting Training

Localizing International Human Rights

8-10 October 2025

This training course, specifically designed for staff of city and regional governments, will explore the means and mechanisms through which local and regional governments can interact with and integrate the recommendations of international human rights bodies in their concrete work at the local level.

Read more

Crops view from the sky Project

The Right to Food in Europe

Started in December 2022

This research will provide legal expertise to a variety of stakeholders on the implementation of the right to food, and on the right to food as a legal basis for just transformation toward sustainable food systems in Europe. It will also identify lessons learned from the 2023 recognition of the right to food in the Constitution of the Canton of Geneva.  

Read more

A session of the UN Human Rights Council Project

IHL Expert Pool

Started in January 2022

The IHL-EP works to strengthen the capacity of human rights mechanisms to incorporate IHL into their work in an efficacious and comprehensive manner. By so doing, it aims to address the normative and practical challenges that human rights bodies encounter when dealing with cases in which IHL applies.

Read more

Cover of the publication Publication

Briefing N° 25: Localizing Multilateralism

published on March 2025

Domenico Zipoli, Ludovica Chiussi Curzi, Kamelia Kemileva

Read more