Building a human rights economy through the UPR
Inequality is not accidental. Barriers to services, resources and opportunities are often the result of policy choices, legal frameworks and social norms that States either perpetuate or fail to confront.
Addressing these inequalities requires a shift towards a human rights economy—one that places people and the planet at the centre of economic decision-making.
A human rights economy uses States’ human rights obligations to guide fiscal, trade, industrial and investment policies, helping governments navigate economic trade-offs in ways that prioritise dignity, equality and sustainability. In practice, this means aligning budgets, taxation and economic planning with human rights commitments, expanding fiscal space and strengthening social protection systems through fair and transparent public investment.
These questions were at the heart of the Impact Exchange 2025, held on 11 December under the theme “Reducing inequality through the progressive realisation of economic, social and cultural rights: leaving no one behind and the human rights economy.” Organised by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Universal Rights Group (URG), with support from the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF), the Impact Exchange is a new annual platform offering States a constructive space to reflect on implementation, share experiences, present impact data and outline future plans linked to UN human rights mechanisms. The first edition focused on national experiences showing how political will, resources and participation can transform UPR commitments into tangible outcomes.
The newly released World Inequality Report 2026 confirms that inequalities—within and between countries—remain among the most significant barriers to the realisation of economic, social and cultural rights.
The UPR has the potential to be a powerful tool for addressing the root causes of exclusion—if recommendations are clear, actionable and followed up.
Across UPR cycles, States consistently receive recommendations related to equitable access to education, stronger health systems, social protection and the reduction of structural inequalities. Crucially, the number of ESCR-related recommendations has increased significantly over time, reflecting a growing recognition that civil and political rights cannot be realised in isolation from economic and social conditions.
Between the first and third UPR cycles, recommendations on the right to health increased by nearly 380%, rising from 508 to 2,426. Recommendations on the right to education more than tripled over the same period, while those related to labour rights grew by almost 290%. Even in traditionally under-addressed areas such as housing, recommendations nearly tripled across cycles.
UPR Info y los derechos humanos y la economía
Since 2019, UPR Info has placed growing attention on the relationship between human rights and the economy, and on the critical role of economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR) within the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). A central objective of this work has been to encourage States to formulate more specific and actionable UPR recommendations on ESCR—recommendations capable of driving real change on the ground. To support this shift, UPR Info has invested in capacity-building activities, including targeted trainings for diplomats in collaboration with OHCHR and facilitation of peer-exchanges to support human rights advocates engaging more strategically in the UPR process.
"Implementing ESCR-related UPR recommendations is essential to reducing global inequalities, strengthening social cohesion, and ensuring that every person can enjoy their rights fully and without discrimination.”
Mona M’Bikay, Executive Director of UPR Info.
During the Impact Exchange, Mbikay highlighted concrete country examples illustrating what becomes possible when UPR commitments are backed by political will, adequate resources and meaningful participation. In education, Sierra Leone abolished school fees and invested in teacher training, contributing to a significant rise in girls’ enrolment, while Portugal strengthened inclusive education for migrant and Roma children, improving retention. In the health sector, Thailand extended universal health coverage to undocumented children and migrant workers, and Uruguay expanded rural mobile clinics and increased investment in sexual and reproductive health.
Gender inequality and poverty continue to undermine the enjoyment of ESCR worldwide. Women’s labour force participation remains at just 47%, constrained by unpaid care work and discriminatory norms. Yet UPR recommendations have supported reforms such as Canada’s expansion of gender-responsive budgeting, and the strengthening of social protection systems in Brazil, Morocco and Fiji, helping better reach those most at risk.
To translate ESCR-related UPR recommendations into lasting impact, States must invest in strong national follow-up mechanisms, inclusive participation, disaggregated data and local-level implementation. Equally important is the formulation of recommendations that strengthen social protection systems, expand universal access to quality health and education, promote decent work, address gender-based economic inequalities and advance fiscal and redistributive policies rooted in human rights principles.
As Mbikay concluded, this moment calls for renewed commitment to concrete implementation, meaningful participation and transformational change—and for advancing a human rights economy that delivers for people and the planet.