<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml"xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word"xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=ProgId content=Word.Document><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 10"><meta name=Originator content="Microsoft Word 10"><link rel=File-List href="e1s3sub5gen_files/filelist.xml"><title>1</title><style></style></head><body lang=EN-US link=navy vlink=purple style='tab-interval:36.0pt'> <div class=Section1 dir=RTL>Over-ridingprinciplesNonretrogression/progressive realizationGeneraldescription<o:p></o:p>ICESCR’s Article2 identifies the State party’s obligation to ensure the“progressive realisation” of ESC rights. That is widely interpretedto mean that the State party breaches this provision if it tolerates or causes“regressivity” in the enjoyment of the right. The relevantjurisprudence has established that, even in the case of scarce resources, theState must exert good-faith efforts, including through international cooperation,to advance—and not derogate—the enjoyment of ESC rights, includingadequate housing and its constituent entitlements. <o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p>The treaty bodies have clarified further that neither politicalprocesses, domestic legislation, scarcity of resources, or agreements withother parties can be invoked to justify nonimplementation of human rightstreaty obligations.<a style='mso-footnote-id:ftn1' href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1"title=""><![if !supportFootnotes]><spanstyle='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA'>[1]<![endif]></a>For example, the binding nature of a treaty obligation is further clarified inthe Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (1969), clarifying in its Articles27 and 46, that invoking an internal law is not admissible as a justificationfor nonimplementation of a treaty obligation.<a style='mso-footnote-id:ftn2'href="#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title=""><spanstyle='mso-special-character:footnote'><![if !supportFootnotes]><spanclass=MsoFootnoteReference>[2]<![endif]></a> Toharmonize treaty obligations with local implementation, human rights obligations arising from thetreaties and case law should guide policy formulation and decision-makingprocesses in law-abiding States. Therefore, a process of realising the rightsshould not regress, but should ensure “the continuous improvement ofliving conditions” (Article 11). <o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p>This over-ridingprinciple of “nonregressivity” has been reaffirmed in the LimburgPrinciples on the Implementation of the International Covenant on Economic,Social and Cultural Rights (1986) and Maastricht Guidelines on Violations ofEconomic, Social and Cultural Rights (1997),<a style='mso-footnote-id:ftn3'href="#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" title=""><spanlang=EN-GB style='mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'><![if !supportFootnotes]><spanlang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA'>[3]<![endif]></a><spanlang=EN-GB style='mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'> as well as numerous cases ofinternational jurisprudence through the monitoring functions of CESCR.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p>The many examples of globalization-era economic reforms demonstrate howthe withdrawal of the State from its obligations to fulfill economic/social/culturalrights can lead to deprivation. The State nonetheless bears a covenantedobligation to ensure that economic policies do not make tenure more precariousand insecure, whether arising from domestic political change or pressures of anexternal actor, such as an international financial institution. In order toensure “progressive realization,” therefore, it is vital to ensurethat the human right to adequate housing forms a part of the overall humanrights framework for development policy, especially guiding internationalcooperation arrangements. This civilizing process requires improvedcoordination among the relevant government bodies, such as ministries ofJustice, Finance and Foreign Affairs. This is not only out of domestic duty towardcitizens for States to ensure that development partnerships effect“progressive realization,” but also an extraterritorial obligationof the State party under ICESCR, Article 2.<o:p> </o:p>The CESCR has commentedalso on the “core obligations” of States to implement the humanright to adequate housing. It noted that, regardless of the state ofdevelopment of any country, certain steps must be taken immediately, inaddition to the over-riding principles of human rights law. These includeabstaining from measures that would impinge upon the right, as well as toengage positively in practices to facilitate the people’s processes ofgroups seeking to improve their living conditions, in accordance with thespecific elements outlined above.<a style='mso-footnote-id:ftn4' href="#_ftn4"name="_ftnref4" title=""><spanstyle='mso-special-character:footnote'><![if !supportFootnotes]><spanclass=MsoFootnoteReference>[4]<![endif]></a><o:p></o:p><spanlang=EN-GB dir=LTR style='mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'><o:p> </o:p></div><div style='mso-element:footnote-list'><![if !supportFootnotes]> <hr align=left size=1 width="33%"><![endif]><div style='mso-element:footnote' id=ftn1><a style='mso-footnote-id:ftn1' href="#_ftnref1"name="_ftn1" title=""><![if !supportFootnotes]><spanclass=MsoFootnoteReference>[1]<![endif]></a><spanstyle='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial'> Letter of CESCR Chairperson Mme.Virginia Bonoan-Dandan to S.E. M. Yaakov Levy, Permanent Representative,Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations Office and SpecializedAgencies at Geneva, 11 May 2001, annex to Letter by the Chairperson of the Committeeon Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to the President of ECOSOC (11 May2001).<o:p></o:p></div><div style='mso-element:footnote' id=ftn2><a style='mso-footnote-id:ftn2' href="#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" title=""><spanstyle='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial'><![if !supportFootnotes]><spanstyle='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:AR-SA;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA'>[2]<![endif]></a><spanlang=EN-GB style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>Article 27 (Internal law and observance of treaties): “A party may notinvoke the provisions of its internal law as justification for its failure toperform a treaty. This rule is without prejudice to Article 46.” Article46 (Provisions of internal law regarding competence to conclude treaties)states that: 1. A State may not invoke the fact that its consent to be bound bya treaty has been expressed in violation of a provision of its internal lawregarding competence to conclude treaties as invalidating its consent unlessthat violation was manifest and concerned a rule of its internal law offundamental importance. 2. A violation is manifest if it would be objectivelyevident to any State conducting itself in the matter in accordance with normalpractice and in good faith.”<o:p></o:p></div><div style='mso-element:footnote' id=ftn3><a style='mso-footnote-id:ftn3' href="#_ftnref3"name="_ftn3" title=""><![if !supportFootnotes]><spanlang=EN-CA style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-CA;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA'>[3]<![endif]></a><spanlang=EN-CA style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial'> Text available at <ahref="http://ip.aaas.org/escrdocs.nsf/">http://ip.aaas.org/escrdocs.nsf/</a>.<o:p></o:p></div><div style='mso-element:footnote' id=ftn4><a style='mso-footnote-id:ftn4' href="#_ftnref4" name="_ftn4" title=""><spanstyle='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial'><![if !supportFootnotes]><spanstyle='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:AR-SA;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA'>[4]<![endif]></a><spanlang=EN-GB style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB'>“As recognized in the Global Strategy for Shelter and in otherinternational analyses, many of the measures required to promote the right tohousing would only require the abstention by the Government from certainpractices and a commitment to facilitating “self‑help” byaffected groups. To the extent that any such steps are considered to be beyondthe maximum resources available to a State party, it is appropriate that arequest be made as soon as possible for international cooperation in accordancewith Articles 11 (1), 22 and 23 of the Covenant, and that the Committee beinformed thereof.” General Comment No. 4, para. 10.<o:p></o:p></div></div></body></html>