Nigeria

The petition focused on violations of the rights to health, housing and food in Nigeria's oil-producing region and was intended to: 1) draw attention to the massive environmental and social problems underlying the execution of Ken Saro Wiwa and other local activists; 2) broaden the range of human rights concerns considered by the Commission; and 3) provide a model communication for other human rights and social justice advocates in Africa.

CESR

The Center for Economic and Social Rights [CESR] was established in 1993 to promote social justice through human rights. In a world where poverty and inequality deprive entire communities of dignity and even life itself, CESR promotes the universal right of every human being to housing, education, health and a healthy environment, food, work, and an adequate standard of living.

CESR’s mission is to advocate for social justice using human rights tools and strategies. For more than ten years we have contributed to the development of a human rights culture that integrates economic security, social equality, and political freedom as established in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We build relationships with civil society groups and strengthen local initiatives for economic justice by connecting them with international institutions and legal mechanisms for protecting human rights.

The legal framework recasts basic human needs for health, housing, education, food, a healthy environment, and work as enforceable human rights. It provides an umbrella for a diverse set of communities, organizations and activists to join together in demanding accountability and policy change from state and non-state actors in accordance with universal standards of law.