The Forgotten Right to Continuous Improvement of Living Conditions in Article 11(1) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights : Seeking the Roots of the Right in International Law

This paper analyses the forgotten right to continuous improvement of living conditions in ICESCR Art 11(1), drawing on: the travaux préparatoires; the broader context of Twentieth Century international law; and the work of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. It argues that we can find nascent interpretations of the right, which provide a starting point for recovering this right into broader international legal discourse. These nascent interpretations, drawn from its roots in international law, prompt a reconsideration of the meaning of Article 11(1). They contribute new ways of thinking about old debates over economic, social and cultural rights as a whole, including different perspectives on the relationship between rights and development; the meaning of continuous improvement beyond economic growth; and human rights' potential contributions to human flourishing and to more sustainable ideas of what it means to be human