(UNI) Calling on governments to take human rights obligations into account when designing economic reforms, an independent United Nations rights expert said that human rights impact assessments are key to the process.
Highlighting the vital role of human rights on policymaking, the independent expert on foreign debt and human rights, Juan Pablo Bohoslavsky, published the Guiding Principles on Human Rights Impact Assessments of Economic Reforms to assist states, international financial institutions, creditors, civil society and others, to ensure that economic policies are embedded in human rights.
“The thrust of the Guiding Principles is that states cannot shy away from their human rights obligations in economic policymaking, even in times of economic crisis” said Mr Bohoslavsky in a statement, issued on the eve of the World Economic Forum in Davos.