ABSTRACT
Article 22 is essentially an 'umbrella' norm that introduces the full range of economic, social and cultural rights (ESCRs) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). This idea is the point of departure of this commentary, which aims to analyse the vast potential that Article 22 continues to hold for the promotion of social justice and a holistic approach for the realisation of ESCRs. Article 22 is to a certain extent agnostic on how states will implement ESCRs because it indicates that the realisation of these rights is "in accordance with the organization" of each state. Thus, states can adopt different political and economic systems without infringing on the UDHR. Article 22 also provides the robust ethical and philosophical foundations for ESCRs, by linking this set of rights to two critical concepts: human dignity and individual autonomy. Article 22 also deals with the complex issue of implementation of ESCRs.
