Governments have a legal obligation to uphold people's rights and ensure that others do not undermine them. They also have a legal obligation to promote them.
One way we can strengthen international law is through an 'Optional Protocol to this Covenant'.
This would create an international complaints and enquiry mechanism so that
groups and individuals across the world could hold their governments to account
for violating their economic, social or cultural rights.
An Optional Protocol has already been created for the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. We want to ensure that Economic, Social and Cultural Rights are given the same status - and that people everywhere have the same ability to access those rights.