The Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR) is a left-of-center advocacy group critical of free-market economic systems and privatization. The group advocates for a larger government role in the economy to redistribute wealth. ¹

The group has accepted funding from major left-of-center nonprofit funders such as the Ford Foundation ² and billionaire financier George Soros’s Foundation to Promote Open Society. ³

In March 2023, the group’s executive director endorsed a controversial white-paper released by the International Commission of Jurists proposing the repeal of laws requiring the disclosure of HIV-positive diagnoses before engaging in sexual contact. ⁴

Background

The Center for Economic and Social Rights was founded in 1993. ⁵ It advocates a larger government role in the economy. It opposes “austerity, deregulation, and privatization.” ⁶

The CESR supports what it describes the “rights-based economy,” which includes wealth redistribution and social welfare state expansion while rejecting the free market as not the “best and most efficient way to distribute resources.” ⁷ In addition, the organization is in favor of creating rights to “housing, education, health and a healthy environment, food, work, and an adequate standard of living.” ⁸

Issue Stances

Tax Increases as a Women’s Issue

In March 2023, Center for Economic and Social Rights executive director Meghna Abraham called for tax hikes. She claimed women are unfairly forced to fill gaps in public services through unpaid and low-paid work. ⁹

Social-Issue Laws

Center for Economic and Social Rights executive director Meghna Abraham endorsed a booklet by the nonprofit International Commission on Jurists titled The 8 March Principles for a Human Rights-Based Approach to Criminal Law Proscribing Conduct Associated with Sex, Reproduction, Drug Use, HIV, Homelessness and Poverty. It proposed a set of lenient left-of-center policies for governments to adopt related to social issues. ¹⁰

It recommended limiting prosecutions related to the minimum age of sexual consent. The book’s Principle 16 stated that “sexual conduct involving persons below the domestically prescribed minimum age of consent to sex may be consensual in fact, if not in law.” ¹¹ The principles also support legalizing prostitution, recommending that sex work-related offenses only be criminalized they involved force or fraud. ¹²

The book opposes prosecuting failure to disclose HIV-positive status before sexual contact. It only recommends prosecution if HIV was intentionally spread. ¹³

It supports legalizing drug use, even for those under the age of 18 or while pregnant. ¹⁴

Leadership

Meghna Abraham is the executive director of Center for Economic and Social Rights. Before joining CESR, she worked at the advocacy group Amnesty International as director of global issues and head of economic, social, and cultural rights. ¹⁵

Finances

According to the Center for Economic and Social Rights’ 2021 tax return, it had $1,346,898 in revenue and $1,348,191 in expenses. It had $1,084,603 in assets. ¹⁶

Between 2017 and 2021, the group received $1,881,000 from the Foundation to Promote Open Society. ¹⁷

The Ford Foundation has awarded CESR 10 grants since 2006. ¹⁸

1. “Rights-Based Economy.” Center for Economic and Social Rights. Accessed July 5, 2023. https://www.cesr.org/rights-based-economy/.
2. “Center for Economic and Social Rights.” Ford Foundation. Accessed July 5, 2023. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grantee/center-for-economic-and-social-rights-cesr/25608.
3. “Open Society Foundations – Awarded Grants, Scholarships, and Fellowships.” Open Society Foundations. Accessed July 5, 2023. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants/past?filter_keyword=Center%2Bfor%2BEconomic%2Band%2BSocial%2BRights.
4. The 8 March Principles for a Human Rights-Based Approach to Criminal Law Proscribing Conduct Associated with Sex, Reproduction, Drug Use, HIV, Homelessness and Poverty. Share-Net International. Geneva, Switzerland: International Commission of Jurists, 2023. https://share-netinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/8-MARCH-Principles-FINAL-printer-version-1-MARCH-2023.pdf.
5. [1]“Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR).” ESCR. Accessed July 5, 2023. https://www.escr-net.org/member/center-economic-and-social-rights-cesr.
6. “Rights-Based Economy.” Center for Economic and Social Rights. Accessed July 5, 2023. https://www.cesr.org/rights-based-economy/.
7. “Rights-Based Economy.” Center for Economic and Social Rights. Accessed July 5, 2023. https://www.cesr.org/rights-based-economy/.
8.  Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR).” ESCR. Accessed July 5, 2023. https://www.escr-net.org/member/center-economic-and-social-rights-cesr.
9. “Why Is Tax Justice an Integral Part of the Struggle for Women’s Rights?” Global Tax Justice, March 8, 2023. https://globaltaxjustice.org/news/why-is-tax-justice-an-integral-part-of-the-struggle-for-womens-rights/.
10. The 8 March Principles for a Human Rights-Based Approach to Criminal Law Proscribing Conduct Associated with Sex, Reproduction, Drug Use, HIV, Homelessness and Poverty. Share-Net International. Geneva, Switzerland: International Commission of Jurists, 2023. https://share-netinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/8-MARCH-Principles-FINAL-printer-version-1-MARCH-2023.pdf.
11. The 8 March Principles for a Human Rights-Based Approach to Criminal Law Proscribing Conduct Associated with Sex, Reproduction, Drug Use, HIV, Homelessness and Poverty. Share-Net International. Geneva, Switzerland: International Commission of Jurists, 2023. https://share-netinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/8-MARCH-Principles-FINAL-printer-version-1-MARCH-2023.pdf.
12. The 8 March Principles for a Human Rights-Based Approach to Criminal Law Proscribing Conduct Associated with Sex, Reproduction, Drug Use, HIV, Homelessness and Poverty. Share-Net International. Geneva, Switzerland: International Commission of Jurists, 2023. https://share-netinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/8-MARCH-Principles-FINAL-printer-version-1-MARCH-2023.pdf.
13.  The 8 March Principles for a Human Rights-Based Approach to Criminal Law Proscribing Conduct Associated with Sex, Reproduction, Drug Use, HIV, Homelessness and Poverty. Share-Net International. Geneva, Switzerland: International Commission of Jurists, 2023. https://share-netinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/8-MARCH-Principles-FINAL-printer-version-1-MARCH-2023.pdf.
14.  The 8 March Principles for a Human Rights-Based Approach to Criminal Law Proscribing Conduct Associated with Sex, Reproduction, Drug Use, HIV, Homelessness and Poverty. Share-Net International. Geneva, Switzerland: International Commission of Jurists, 2023. https://share-netinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/8-MARCH-Principles-FINAL-printer-version-1-MARCH-2023.pdf.
15. “People.” Center for Economic and Social Rights. Accessed July 5, 2023. https://www.cesr.org/team/.
16. “Center for Economic and Social Rights Inc, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed July 5, 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/133744727/202223159349304422/full.
17. “Open Society Foundations – Awarded Grants, Scholarships, and Fellowships.” Open Society Foundations. Accessed July 5, 2023. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants/past?filter_keyword=Center%2Bfor%2BEconomic%2Band%2BSocial%2BRights.
18. “Center for Economic and Social Rights.” Ford Foundation. Accessed July 5, 2023. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grantee/center-for-economic-and-social-rights-cesr/25608.