International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) is a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 16 December 1966 and brought into force on 3 January 1976. It commits its parties to work toward granting economic, social and cultural rights to all individuals, including those living in Non-Self-Governing and Trust Territories, and its named rights include labour rights, the right to health, the right to education and the right to an adequate standard of living. As of August 2025 the Covenant has 173 parties, with a further five countries, including the United States, having signed but not ratified it. Together with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, it forms the International Bill of Human Rights, and it is monitored by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.