In November 2013, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights published an Issue Paper on Safeguarding human rights in times of economic crisis.
The paper outlines the human rights consequences of austerity measures implemented across Europe in the wake of the global financial and economic crises, and provides supportive guidance to the member states of the Council of Europe for upholding their human rights and equality duties in times of economic constraint.
The Issue Paper sets out a series of concrete recommendations for human rights-compliant responses to the crisis and addresses the important and unique role of national human rights structures in ensuring that human rights are safeguarded in the crisis context.
