From November 28 - 29, 2005, the Center for Human Rights of Central European University (CEU) organized a roundtable around the theme: Re-thinking Socio-Economic Rights in an Insecure World. The roundtable brought together scholars and human rights practitioners from different regions to reflect on the following questions relating to social and economic rights, particularly in the context of the global insecurity: If social rights are human rights, how does the failure to advance these rights undermine security? Are social rights human rights or do the claims they incorporate represent social needs? Are they moral or legal rights? Who has a duty to respect these rights? Is there a hierarchy among those who have such duties? How can these duties be fulfilled? What is an appropriate approach to social and economic concerns in developing countries? Is the argument for socio-economic rights an argument that overcomes the causes and legacy of conflicts? Do socio-economic rights deserve constitutional protection? What are the problems behind constitutional protection of such rights? Is the vagueness of social and economic rights an enough reason not to assign such rights to people? Is the rhetoric of social and economic rights helpful in protecting marginalized and neglected groups?
