Il Protocollo facoltativo al Patto sui diritti economici, sociali e culturali: verso un allineamento dei sistemi procedurali di tutela dei diritti umani

The paper deals with the recent entry into force of the Optional Protocol of the UN Covenant on economic, social and cultural rights. The Protocol has significantly increased the competence of the Committee on economic, social and cultural rights, by introducing three different procedural mechanisms of control: individual communications, inter-state communications and inquiry procedures. After a general overview of the main features of the new system of control, the paper focuses on two main critical issues: the extraterritorial impact of the new mechanisms and the novel provision of the standard of review based on reasonableness. While the paper underlines that the Protocol takes a step forward in the international protection of social rights, especially by providing the right to lodge individual complaints, it, also, argues that the specific features of economic, social and cultural rights should be further taken into consideration in the implementation of the Protocol. Much will depend on the role that the Committee on economic, social and cultural rights will play in the interpretation of certain controversial expressions contained in the Protocol, such as those of “jurisdiction” and “reasonableness”.