A/HRC/34/57 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 27 December 2016 Original: English Human Rights Council Thirty-fourth session 27 February-24 March 2017 Agenda item 3 Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development Report of the Independent Expert on the effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States on the full enjoyment of all human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights Note by the Secretariat The Secretariat has the honour to transmit to the Human Rights Council the report of the Independent Expert on the effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States on the full enjoyment of all human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights, Juan Pablo Bohoslavsky, prepared pursuant to Council resolution 25/16. The report focuses on labour rights in the context of economic reform and austerity measures. In many countries, austerity-related labour law reforms have been promoted by international financial institutions on the assumption that they will lead to economic growth and thus prevent or help overcome debt crises. These reforms have included freezing or reducing wages and minimum wages, extending working hours, placing workers on precarious contracts or labour reserve schemes and facilitating dismissals. Of particular concern are reforms that have targeted collective bargaining systems, for example by restricting the extension of sector agreements and pushing bargaining down to the workplace level or permitting bargaining with non-union representatives. In his report, the Independent Expert argues that these reforms often erode labour rights and result in retrogression of work-related gender equality. They have frequently contributed to an increase in inequality and insecure and informal employment; fostered discrimination in the labour market towards young and older persons and individuals belonging to marginalized social groups; and resulted in the reduction of job-related social protection. Furthermore, it is questionable whether eroding labour rights generates economic and social benefits to other rights holders that would justify encroaching on them. The Independent Expert concludes with a number of recommendations on how to improve the protection of individual and collective labour rights in response to financial crises. GE.16-22938(E) 