Since the first edition (published in 2009), there have been several important treaty developments, including the entry into force of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) on individual communications, and significant developments in the case law on economic, social and cultural (ESC) rights. The second edition addresses these developments and explores ESC rights from foundational issues to substantive rights and systems of protection. It has been fully updated to include new material and up-to-date coverage of the case law of human rights bodies and national courts on ESC rights. In addition to the rights to health, education and work covered in the first edition, the second edition analyses new developments, such as the rights to adequate food, water and sanitation, adequate housing, social security and cultural rights. It also considers several contemporary issues including the extraterritorial human rights obligations of states in the area of economic, social and cultural rights; non-state actors; relationship of the ICESCR to other areas of international law; the Optional Protocol to the ICESCR; regional protection of ESC rights; more examples of the domestic protection of ESC rights; the protection of ESC rights of vulnerable groups; contemporary challenges to ESC rights, including poverty, corruption, armed conflicts and terrorism. It concludes by exploring the possible establishment of a World Court of Human Rights.

Part I: Reflections on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights1. The International Legal Protection of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 2. State Obligations Under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 3. Beyond the State: Non-State Actors and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 4. Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights 5. The Domestic Protection of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Protected in International Law 6. State Reservations to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 7. Women's Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Part II: Substantive Economic, Social and Cultural Rights8. Right to Work and Right to Just and Favourable Conditions of Work: Articles 6, 7 and 8 9. Rights to an Adequate Standard of Living and Social Security: Articles 11 and 9 10. The Right to Health: Article 12 11. The Right to Education: Articles 13 and 14 12. Cultural Rights: Article 15 Part III: Conclusion13. The Right of Victims of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Violations to an Effective Remedy: Towards a World Court of Human Rights