On 3 April, the UN Human Rights Council agreed, by consensus, to a resolution that places economic decision-making at the heart of states’ obligations to uphold economic, social and cultural rights. Initiated by Portugal and backed by a wide cross-regional group of countries, the resolution signals renewed international backing for rethinking how fiscal and monetary tools relate to human rights.

The resolution reflects mounting global pressure to align economic governance with human rights, especially in the context of compounding crises: unsustainable debt, austerity measures, climate breakdown and widening inequality. It affirms that economic policy can no longer remain disconnected from states’ human rights commitments.

It puts forward key areas for action: international cooperation on tax justice, debt relief aligned with human rights obligations, investment in quality public services, recognition of the care economy and climate finance for countries most affected by environmental degradation. By anchoring these issues in a rights-based framework, the resolution offers new tools for advocacy, accountability and structural reform.

This thematic resolution, promoted by Portugal for decades, has played a key role in centring economic, social and cultural rights within the UN human rights system. The process that led to its adoption this year was notably inclusive, and its adoption by consensus underscores the growing momentum for systemic change.

Read the resolution here: