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Previous research has paid little attention to economic and social rights. Instead, the majority of scholarly work has concentrated on the impact of globalization on physical integrity rights; interestingly, liberal and critical scholars often claim this ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that principles proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations in its 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights are the best political, social and economic framework for U.S. foreign policy. Since the end of World War II, international organizations accept human rights as the minimum standards for conduct for individuals and societies within states, and between countries. The U.S., however, having abstained in the UN vote, only endorses civic liberties through its foundational documentsâ€"the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights--does not recognize the authority of foreign institutions and legal experts to define appropriate conduct at home and abroad. From self-interest, the American establishment does not abide by the demands for justice, equality and empowerment of the needy enshrined in social, economic and cultural rights respected by the rest of the world. The agenda of human rights defenders in the U.S. should be to familiarize Americans with these concerns through legitimizing international conventions on issues such as labor rights, protection of children and the treatment of immigrants, in view to a foreign policy that espouses such goals. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The late Mahbub ul Haq, the chief architect of the UNDP’s annual Human Development Report was among the first to propose the formation of an Economic Security Council (ESC) within the UN. Haq envisioned an expansive ESC that would implement a program based on security in its fullest sense: security for people, from food security to ecological security. The UNDP expanded on Haq vision and argued for an early warning system as part of the ESC to plan assistance in internal conflicts. The UNDP mentioned five quantitative indicators for an early warning system for human security: income and job security, food security, human rights violations, ethnic and other conflicts, and the ratio of military to social spending. In my new book, The Global New Deal: Economic and Social Human Rights in World Politics (Rowman and Littlefield, 2003), I propose building on the Haq/UNDP proposal for a new ESC. Strengthening international monitoring and regulation of state and non-state economic actors seems central to any strategy for respecting, protecting and fulfilling economic and social human rights. Yet, the Haq/UNDP proposal seems overly ambitions. What I propose in the Global New Deal is a new streamlined ESC to invigorate the moribund Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). My paper for ISA will develop these ideas for an effective ESC in detail. ECOSOC has clearly had little success in establishing mechanisms to prevent economic destitution and suffering. A new design needs to be proposed for an effective ESC centered on economic and social rights fulfillment. The new ESC, for example, could focus like a laser on the implementation of the UNICEF/UNDP 20:20 proposal for human development. My paper will thoroughly develop these ideas and, hopefully, demonstrate the viability of this approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the impact of international assistance on Cambodia’s human rights sector after the signing of the Paris Peace Accords in 1991. It explains to what extent the Cambodian human rights situation has improved over the past two decades. In so doing, the paper addresses some of the crucial structural socio-economic and political factors that have hindered the development of effective human rights institutions in Cambodia. In addition, it relates some of the developments in the Cambodian human rights field to the broad range of human rights initiatives and NGOs that have been supported by the internatinal community over the past decade. Finally, the paper assesses the level of institutionalization of crucial human rights organizations and the impact this has had on the process of democratization in Cambodia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]