An online symposium has been organsied on the reports written by YTL Centre Director Professor John Tasioulas for the World Bank on minimum core obligations and their relevance to the human right to health. Minimum core obligations are those obligations associated with economic, social and cultural rights that must be *immediately* fulfilled by all states. The doctrine of progressive realization, which enables states to realize human rights obligations by means of reasonable steps over time, does not apply to this particularly urgent class of obligations.  

Seven commentators, coming from a wide variety of disciplines, made thoughtful and probing comments on Professor Tasioulas' work, including the eminent Australian jurist the Hon. Michael Kirby, and the leading philosopher and public intellectual, Professor Martha Nussbaum of the University of Chicago. In an extensive reply, Professor Tasioulas dealt with many of the interesting issues raised by the commentators, including the place of feasibility in shaping human rights obligations and the sense in which minimum core obligations are obligations of 'immediate effect'. 

Read the symposium here: http://jamesgstewart.com/new-symposium-john-tasioulas-minimum-core-obligations-in-economic-cultural-and-social-rights/