The State of the Nation is the Scottish Human Rights Commission’s annual snapshot of how human rights are being realised across Scotland. The 2025 report focuses on economic, social and cultural rights, the rights that ensure people can live a dignified life, like the rights to adequate housing, health, social security, food, and fair working conditions.
This year, the Scottish Human Rights Commission’s annual State of the Nation report looks at economic, social and cultural rights (ESC rights). This report gives a snapshot of whether these rights are being realised across the country.
SHRC have analysed the recommendations made by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (UN ESC Committee) as part of the review of the UK’s record under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and have outlined ten areas of concern for ESC rights in Scotland. These recommendations give the Scottish Parliament an authoritative framework to assess progress to respect, protect and fulfil each of the ICESCR obligations.
This report is part of a four-year approach to developing a comprehensive and user-friendly State of the Nation which gives an authoritative insight into the existing situation of human rights in Scotland in any given year. It delivers a core commitment in our current Strategic Plan 2024-2028 to outline the developments in respect of progressing human rights and relevant domestic and international judgments.