A Second Look at the South African Human Rights Commission, Access to Information, and the Promotion of Socioeconomic Rights

Abstract

This article takes a "second look" at the place of the South African Human Rights Commission and its role in the promotion of socioeconomic rights through monitoring. It argues that a "first look" at understanding drew heavily on international concepts of monitoring, including those of violations and progressive realization. These concepts have proven to be of limited usefulness in a national context where the justiciability of socioeconomic rights has been achieved. This "second look" proposes an alternative model of national monitoring of socioeconomic rights, based on greater participation, transparency, and a constitutional right of access to information.