RIPESS celebrates and is pleased to inform that the Inter-American Court of Human Rights has issued its Advisory Opinion OC-31/25, in response to a request submitted in 2023 by the Argentine Republic, affirming that care constitutes an autonomous human right.
This opinion, adopted on June 12, 2025, and notified today, August 7, 2025, addresses the content and scope of the right to care, its relationship with other rights, and the obligations of States to guarantee it, with special attention to equality, non-discrimination, and the protection of vulnerable groups.
Given its relevance for the region, we are sharing the full text of this Advisory Opinion, available here: https://jurisprudencia.corteidh.or.cr/es/vid/1088056961
We also share with you the summary of the Advisory Opinion: https://jurisprudencia.corteidh.or.cr/es/vid/1088056961/expression/1088566632
The Court considers care to be a basic need that all persons will require at some point in their life cycle. It recognizes the disproportionate responsibility of women in carrying out these tasks and the consequences for the enjoyment of other rights. It emphasizes that guaranteeing the right to care also implies guaranteeing the autonomy and independence of persons receiving care and support. It specifies that care is an autonomous human right that includes the right to care, to be cared for, and to self-care. It also recognizes care as work and outlines the measures that States must implement to guarantee the right to care.
This Opinion marks an important milestone for the recognition of the right to care in the region and for the development of legislation and public policies on the matter. More than 30 members of the Global Alliance for Care participated in the consultation process for this historic opinion.
Care and those who provide it, the basis of life… And of the social solidarity economy
