A Scandinavian approach to human rights and inequality

This article traces how Scandinavian diplomats and policymakers contributed to UN debates on the realization of economic and social rights in the 1970s. At the time, these debates were deeply shaped by the New International Economic Order (nieo) advocated by the developing countries and the basic needs development strategy championed by the World Bank and the United States.

The article demonstrates that Denmark, Sweden, and Norway took a favorable position on both the nieo and basic needs, viewing them as complementary strategies to realize economic and social human rights. This stance matched their recent turn to activist foreign policies centered on UN diplomacy, human rights, and Global South solidarity. Finally, the article argues that the Scandinavian position reflected and was underpinned by a broad conception of human rights that put economic and social rights on an even footing with civil and political rights.