Romania will have to report to the United Nations on respecting the right to adequate housing and prevention of forced evictions!

By decision E/C.12/ROU/Q/6 of 15.11.2021, the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, on the basis of proposals by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, included the right to adequate housing on the list of issues to be monitored in Romania, in accordance with the provisions of the International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 1966.

This is a great victory for the fight for housing justice in Romania! The pressure from political activism in this area must continue to force the Romanian state and local governments to meet their obligations to ensure the de facto right to housing for all and the right to adequate housing.

On 9 August 2021, the Housing Bloc submitted a proposal to the United Nations Committee to include the right to adequate housing on the list of issues monitored in Romania. It also explained how the relevant articles of the International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights are implemented in our country.

Our message was as clear as possible: the worsening of housing and living conditions that has taken place in Romania over the last 30 years is directly due to political and legislative decisions of governments and parliamentary bodies.

The full GLP document sent to the UN committee is available here: https://casisocialeacum.ro/archives/6371/proposal-to-include-the-right-to-adequate-housing-on-the-list-of-issues-for-monitoring-the-implementation-of-the-international-covenant-on-economic-social-and-cultural-rights-in-ro/?fbclid=IwAR2DMxXyCSdhJcB_IDziFXv5raRk8ueoVs42OYvkZfxXnyOHuqmjQWGrEJs

Document E/C.12 /ROU/Q/6 of the UN Economic and Social Council of 15.11. 2021 included in paragraphs 21-23 of the List of Issues related to Romania’s sixth periodic report the key issues for ensuring the right to adequate housing: Information on legislation adopted to realize the right to adequate housing; legal provisions on protection against forced evictions; measures taken and their outcome to prevent forced evictions of Roma and to ensure that due process is followed in cases of evictions; information on measures taken in the case of the large number of households with utility bill arrears; measures taken to ensure that pricing policy for utility services, including electricity and gas, is based on human rights standards and principles.
The full UN document is available here https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=E%2fC.12%2fROU%2fQ%2f6&Lang=en

The press release of Common Front for the Right to Housing Bucharest (Frontul Comun pentru Dreptul la Locuire) you can read here:
http://frontulcomun.ro/romania-trebuie-sa-raporteze-la…/