| Renewing strategies for economic and social justice: summary report of Vienna@20 meeting, Geneva, May 2013 The adoption of the Vienna Declaration and Program of Action in 1993 was a pivotal moment for the human rights movement, as it laid to rest the Cold War division between economic, social and cultural rights, on one hand, and civil and political rights on the other. But how much progress has been made over the past 20 years towards the promises set out in this landmark agreement? And what challenges must the human rights movement now address to ensure the vision of social justice contained in the Declaration is fully realized?
CESR is pleased to release a short summary that captures the reflections and views on these questions shared at 'Vienna at 20: Renewing strategies for economic and social justice', a meeting CESR co-hosted in Geneva on May 29 and 30 with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights and the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights.
CESR, founded the same year as the Vienna conference specifically to defend and promote economic and social rights, hosted the meeting to prompt a critical assessment of how far we have come as a movement in addressing the comparative neglect of these rights. The meeting brought together leading advocates, activists and practitioners from all corners of the globe to share their experiences and, in so doing, to sketch out a forward-looking agenda for promoting economic and social rights in the future.
The meeting sessions focused on three aspects of the Vienna Declaration and Program of Action of particular significance for economic, social and cultural rights: its recognition of the role human rights should play in shaping sustainable economic and development policy; the commitment to tackle the injustice of inequality; and the emphasis on meeting the challenges of implementing, monitoring and enforcing economic, social and cultural rights.
As outlined in the summary, the meeting was one of a number of activities CESR, which also celebrates its 20th birthday this year, is organizing to mark these dual anniversaries. We have also been compiling a series of video reflections (see panel) from leading experts in the field on our dedicated CESR+20 website. The insights gleaned through these various activities will be reflected in an anniversary publication and a short documentary video to be issued at the end of 2013, which will offer a comprehensive and analytical assessment of progress so far and strategies for the future.
* This summary document can be accessed in pdf format here.
* The agenda of the Vienna+20 meeting can be viewed here.
* A full list of participants at the event is available here.
* For further information about CESR's activities to mark the anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Program of Action, click here.
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 The Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR) works to promote social justice through human rights. In a world where poverty and inequality deprive entire communities of dignity, justice and sometimes life, we seek to uphold the universal human rights of every human being to education, health, food, water, housing, work, and other economic, social and cultural rights essential to human dignity.
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