Introduction
The present report on social, economic, and cultural rights was prepared with the guidance of the treaty-specific document submitted under the 16th and 17th Articles of the International Covenant on Social, Economic, and Cultural Rights. The 7th report introduced the considerations of the 6th report and the answers given to various issues that affected cultural, social, and economic rights. The Cyruss Law Commissioner, who prepared the report, aimed to pursue a decision made by the council of ministers. The commissioner was entrusted with ensuring that the report complied with the Cyprus obligation legally under various human rights instrumental recognized by multiple international bodies. The report was prepared based on data provided and information availed by the Ministries of services and the newly established deputy ministry related to the community’s Social Welfare.
Summary of the Report in Sections
The government and the region cannot ensure the proper application of all the instruments of human rights in all areas and the effective control of the entire room. The reason is that more than 36% of the illegal occupation of the location of Cyprus, together with the governing bodies, cannot exercise effective control over its territories (United Nations, 2022). The fact appeared in one of the reports issued by the United Nations High Commissioner, who questioned the application of all the legal instruments related to human rights in Cyprus. Therefore, the data and the information presented in the current report focus on those areas where the government exercises comprehensive and effective management.
In 2014, the economy in Cyprus experienced an economic recession that saw it participate in some retardants in terms of growth. However, from 2015 to 20219, the nation has been experiencing positive change for the last five years, with an average increase of 4.6% (United Nations, 2022). However, in 2020, the COVID-19 reached the region, and the government experienced some retarded growth where it closed with a rate of -5.1% but the end of 2020. (Loizia et al. 2020). In 2021, the economy started regaining its positive growth trend as the pandemic was not as fierce as it used to be.
An estimate of more than a 5.5% growth rate is expected to restore the expected trend that the nation has been experiencing since 2015. Due to the economic shock experienced in 2019, the labour market and the unemployment rate declined from their peak of 16.1% in 2014 to 7.1% that was experienced in 2019. However, in 2020, the growth rate experienced some positive rate where it closed at 7.1%. The effects of COVID-19 were witnessed with a retarded growth of the GDP, which closed at -5.7% in 2020 (United Nations, 2022). However, more changes are expected to experience before the end of 2023 as the region has been regaining its momentum after the economic shock associated with COVID-19.
Governments Efforts
Despite the economic difficulties experienced in Cyprus, the nation is willing to continue complying with all the instruments and treaties that focus on human rights. The government has been active in various treaties supporting and safeguarding all the interplays of human rights (United Nations, 2022). The nation contributes a considerable amount of funds to multiple agencies involved in promoting activities related to human rights. These efforts are critical as they witness Cyprus is committed to safeguarding and protecting all the fundamentals associated with human rights at costs.
The report focuses on developments experienced in various sectors such as legislation, government policies, administration, and national action plans. It is worth noting that the report focuses on these developments from 2014 onward (United Nations, 2022). The announcement follows a critical format of the guidelines in providing answers and relevant and applicable guidance to articles. However, some exceptions are made primarily in cases of cross-referencing. For this reason, Cyprus has recently been among the nations that have signed the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant of Social, Cultural, and Economic Rights.
Articles of the Covenant
Answers to questions 7 and 8 guidelines are not applicable. However, as per the Articles of the Second of the Covenant and concerning the 9th question that was asked, the beneficiaries and the refugees of subsidiary protection can apply to the Guaranteed Minimum Income that aims at ensuring that there is a minimum social standard of living for all the people living in Cyprus (United Nations, 2022). In addition, the protection focuses on people who live in the nation, yet they cannot gather the required resources to meet basic and specific needs that are needed daily.
Legal Residents
Another aspect worth noting is that the continuous and the legal residents in the areas where the refugees have been under the nation’s influence for the last five years are not required to submit the subsidiary and the beneficiary’s protection, more so to the refugee in the country. Another aspect worth noting is that the answers to the 10th and 11th questions are not applicable.
Question12 answers
According to the third Covenant and answers to question 12, the percentage of GPG (Gender Pay Gap) in the nation has decreased. As per the latest report, the GPG stands at 10.1% compared to the average rate of 14.1% in the EU (United Nations, 2022). The implementation of the project aimed at reducing the gap between men and women in the entire budget range at around 2 million Euros. The aspect has been criticized for enhancing Cyprus to be ranked in the 9th position among all the EU member states (Giannakis et al. 2020).
GPG Rate
The project has been co-financed by adequate European social funds since 2010 and 2015. However, during the period, the GPG rate in the nation lowered from 16.8% to 13.2% (United Nations, 2022). The ministry that deals with labour, social insurance, and welfare have been engaging in activities to raise public awareness of the discrimination pay that usually affects women. For instance, in 2020, a one-week radio campaign was conducted where the community was urged on the need to uphold equal pay in society (United Nations, 2022). The campaign was co-organized by the delegation of the EU, where a piece of inspectorate information was passed in the same week. In 2014, the National Certification Body was established to grant certificates to organizations and enterprises that apply all the practices and policies that promote gender equity. Since its establishment in 2014, around 57 companies have received a certificate, and 20 of them have been renewing theirs.
Question 13 answers
Concerning answers to question 13, the Equality Inspectors have the right to transfer immediately a complainant who may request the transfer of perpetrators to similar places of work. The GEC (Gender Equality Committee) plays a critical role in advising organizations and the general public through seminars conducted in collaboration with Cyprus Academy that focuses on public administration (United Nations, 2022). In these amendments, the penalties for such offences have been increased, with the GEC helping various states investigate workers who might be victims. The GEC has been providing training to employees and employers on issues that relate to sexual harassment and other related matters.
The commissioners for protecting and administering human rights in the nation have accepted all the investigations and complaints about indirect or direct discrimination. There have been various laws related to equal pay between men and women in society (Karayianni & Christou, 2020). The department of labour and relations has been conducting 200 to 300 investigations on complaints made by various workers (United Nations, 2022). The department focuses on identifying the organizations that have not been complying with the various provisions and policies that advocate gender equity and condemn any forms of sexual harassment.
NAP Agency
Other aspects advocated by bodies such as NAP include modernizing or improving the legislative work to ensure equity in society. Promoting a balance in terms of men and women sharing equal rights when making national decisions has been the number one priority of various bodies in the nation (United Nations, 2022). Promoting equality between women and men in various employment opportunities has been a role of bodies such as NAP (United Nations, 2022). Other functions include the issue of eliminating social prejudice and gender stereotypes that have been affecting even the way women and men receive information and access to various forms of technology.
The Military Council
The military council in the nation has been advocating for gender equality by ensuring that all the sex specifications are taken into account in all the army actions. The commission has encouraged members to participate and co-operate with various activities to promote all the activities and reports on gender equality issues. The council has informed members of any sex-related harassment, especially among the army officers.
Commentaries
Literature Review
Joining EU
The Republic of Cyprus joined the EU in May 2004 without a compressive problem. According to Işıksal (2019), the nation became an EU member with minimal control over its territories. As pointed out by Işıksal (2019), the joining contradicts basic principles adopted in the EU. The nation has been experiencing issues since then as its art in joining the union contradicts even the principles of international law. According to Pelekani & Symeou (2018), its periodical reports ought to be addressed to ensure that the republic of Cyprus solves the escalating contradiction.
Economic Crisis
Cyprus and Greece are nations greatly affected by the economic crisis in 2009. According to Rapanos and Kaplanoglou (2014), the two countries were forced to cut off from various international markets to rescue the packages provided by IMF. Since 2014, the nation has been experiencing tremendous growth until 2019, when the pandemic started affecting the global economy (Giannakis et al., 2020). Effects of COVID-19 have been experienced in almost all sectors of the economy. Giannakis et al. (2020) pointed out that all these factors have adversely affected the rate of advancing nations, and Cyprus is not an exception.
Cyprus has been experiencing exponential growth since 2015 until the economic shocker associated with COVID-19 hit the nation. According to Loizia et al. (2020), strategies have to be laid out to prevent the re-occurrence of such situations, as the economic retardation experienced in the country shows that there was a lack of preparedness. As per Asgarnezhad and Soltani (2016), if the Cyprus government had been adequately prepared for economic retardations and emergencies, the employment rate could not have been reduced from 16.1% to less than 10%. According to Coccia (2021), the government ought to have prevented the aspect of retardants in GDP, which is lowered to a negative percentage in one year. The element means that the pandemic might be extended its menace effect by more than three years, and it could be difficult for nations such as Cyprus to recover from the economic shock.
Compliance with International Human Rights
Some of the Geographical restrictions in the Republic of Cyprus have been curtailing the government’s efforts to comply with all the international human rights. According to Psaltis et al. (2020), Cyprus has been proving a paradigmatic case in which the internally displaced people’s right to return has been prioritized. According to Shelton (2020), the nation has also been upholding human dignity by embracing international human rights. The government has signed treaties and agreed to policies that have effectively protected all the people under its control (Chrysostomides, 2021). According to Constantinides (2021), the aspect has been preventing the nation’s effectiveness in advocating activities that will ensure all the human rights provisions have adhered to the latter. According to Trimikliniotis (2018), the law should be amended to allow the nation to exercise complete control over all the regions. This will pave the way for more activities that will ensure that all the policies on human rights are protected and adhered to the latter.
Article 1
The council of Europe has been stressing various issues to help in uniting all its members. In the first few paragraphs of the article, the commission acts as a regional organization to seek the unity of all the members despite the economic state (Bouzenita, 2020).. According to Ruth and Trilsch (2003), the council has been working with various governments to protect the fundamental rights and the freedom of all the member states, including Cyprus. According to Bouzenita (2020), the participation of the member nation in the council will not affect the collaboration of other organizations such as the UN.
Gender Equality
The issue of gender equity has been a significant aspect affecting the nation’s exercise of its duties of controlling its citizens. Cases of sexual harassment have been affecting the rate at which the nation advocates for equal growth in all sectors (Karayianni & Christou, 2020). There have been cases where women were harassed sexually and denied in their right to choose their jobs or even where they can lie (Cyrus, 2015). Furthermore, issues that such agencies have addressed include the issue of protecting and empowering women under all categories (Demetriou & Hadjipavlou, 2018). The agencies have been promoting equality among men and women in employment using equality in education (Zembylas et al., 2017). Other actions such as educating society on the need to advocate equity have been critical in ensuring that all the vulnerable groups, including women, are well protected.
Conclusion
The law in society ought to be changed, and the penalties for offences speculated by the law should be increased.. The public should be introduced to the laws and punishable offences against various human rights provisions. Educating the people in the nation on the need to embrace equity and participate in activities and campaigns to advocate for gender equality can go far in transforming the country at large. Although a lot has been achieved in supporting various provisions that protect women and vulnerable groups in society, a lot needs to be done, especially in educating the public and amending multiple laws that give people an opportunity to offend others. Such moves will protect the vulnerable in society and create more channels to boost the nation’s economic growth at large.
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