The UN World Conference on Human Rights, Vienna, June 1993

Two debates dominated the WCHR: whether human rights are universal or can be culture-specific, and whether respect for human rights is a factor in economic development. The author concentrates particularly on Oxfam's contribution to the Conference, organising two workshops about economic and social rights. The Conference was a qualified success, the final document taking forward some crucial issues, most notably recognising the importance of gender in human rights abuses.