This presentation aims to illustrate, in a succinct manner, the contributions but also the critical aspects of the substantive content of the last general comment adopted by the CESCR in September 2025, a general comment on economic, social and cultural rights and the environmental dimension of sustainable development. Although the scope of the general comment is limited to the environmental dimension only, the CESCR recognizes and takes into account the established definition of sustainable development, a definition that emphasizes the interdependence of its three components, namely the economic, social and environmental ones.

The clean, healthy and sustainable environment represents, in the opinion of the CESCR, an essential precondition for the holders of economic, social and cultural rights to be able to enjoy them and the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is affirmed as an autonomous right absolutely indispensable for the effective realization of economic, social and cultural rights. Thus, the interpretation of ESC rights in the context of sustainable development, the environmental component, brings a series of nuances with regard to the international obligations of the States Parties to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights either from a transversal aspect (reinterpretation of the obligation of maximum available resources, of the obligation to progressively realize ESC rights, of the principle of non-discrimination or of equal rights for women and men), or with regard to the concrete content of the rights provided for in the Covenant.

Speaker:

Laura-Maria Crăciunean-Tatu holds a PhD from Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu (Romania) being, since 2002, Associate Professor at the same university, at the Faculty of Law. Her area of teaching covers Public International Law, International Humanitarian Law and Diplomatic and Consular Law. Since 2017, she is a member of the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) for which she has also served as Chair (2023-2025) and vice-chair (2019-2021). She currently serves for her second term as an independent expert, elected in respect of Romania, in the Council of Europe Advisory Committee of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (2016-2020; 2022-2026). Previously, she was elected as independent expert in the United Nations Human Rights Council Advisory Committee (2014-2017). She has published several books, articles in the field of law and her main research interests are related to cultural rights and cultural diversity, economic, social and cultural rights and the rights of persons belonging to national minorities.

Chair:

Dr Maria Varaki is a Lecturer in international law and Director of the MA in Peace, Security and International Law at the Department of War Studies, King's College London. Before moving to London she held research positions with the Erik Castren Institute of International Law and Human Rights in Helsinki and the Law Faculty of Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She was also an Assistant Professor in International Law at Kadir Has University in Istanbul. Currently she is a Research Associate in 3 Generations of Digital Human Rights, ERC project, 2023-2028, Hebrew University, Faculty of Law.