Regional Protection of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Africa in Comparative Perspective

Sponsored by BOF (2015-2019)

The protection of economic, social and cultural rights has attracted little attention in Africa despite international and national movements’ efforts to advance their enforcement. This research project studies the actual and potential role of the African human rights system for effective legal protection of economic, social and cultural rights in Africa. It compares the African human rights system with the universal and Inter-American systems in order to assess the performance of the African human rights bodies, draw lessons, and borrow good practices. In addition, the project adopts case studies to evaluate the impact of the African system within domestic jurisdictions of African States. Based on the findings arising from the comparison and case studies, the project ultimately aims at proposing suggestions for improvement in the protection of economic, social and cultural rights in Africa.