The Icelandic Branch of Amnesty International has sent an open letter
to numerous ministries encouraging them to sign an international treaty
of economic, social and cultural rights.
“People who live in desperate poverty and groups who live on the bottoms rungs of society have had to tolerate the most serious violations of their economic, social and cultural rights,” the statement reads in part, “among them the right to shelter, food, water and sanitary conditions, as well as the right to education and health care.”
The treaty, drafted by the UN general committee in December 2008, would guarantee that citizens of signatory countries who have had their economic, social and cultural rights violated could file a legal complaint with the United Nations. The committee would then take the complaints into consideration and decide what action, if any, needs to be taken.
It is expected that the larger UN nations will sign the treaty on the 24th of this month, and the Icelandic branch of Amnesty International would like to see our government sign the treaty on or before this time.