This chapter examines the relationship between democracy and economic, social, and cultural rights. It discusses the problems that have arisen in the international legal discourse due to the minimalist understanding of democracy as equating to a limited range of civil and political rights. A case is made for a definition of democracy that explicitly encompasses socio-economic rights as integral features. The chapter then examines the extent to which international human rights law has moved beyond these conceptions through an examination of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. It argues that for human rights and democracy to live up to their promised deals, socioeconomic rights need to be given much greater attention in a way that places them at the centre of concerns for human dignity and development.
Keywords: economic rights, social rights, cultural rights, human rights, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,