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For Want of Resources: Reimagining the State’s Obligation to Use ‘Maximum Available Resources’ for the Progressive Realisation of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Articles and Commentary

Rights Involved

Issue

Summary: Discusses interpretation of MAR in the context of the ICESCR by applying a cross-disciplinary approach. Investigates legal, economic and public policy dimensions of resource mobilisation, allocation and governance that are essential in advancing progressive realisation of ESC rights. Proposes that the MAR obligation for the progressive realisation of ESC rights can be made more meaningful by adopting a broader interpretation of the concept of resources and by taking active steps to maximise the quality and quantity of resources available through public sector revenue, international assistance and cooperation and private sector investment, all of which can be enhanced through institutional mechanisms and processes of allocation and governance. This proposition is supported by an in-depth qualitative analysis of relevant ESC rights literature, interpretive works of the ESCR Committee and Special Rapporteurs, periodic reports of States, institutional documents and case studies, which provide evidence on the current understanding and application of the concept of resources in this context.