The United Nations Independent Expert on foreign debt and human rights, Juan Pablo Bohoslavsky, on Wednesday urged the related sides to fully assess the impact on human rights of possible new austerity measures to ensure that they do not come as a cost to human rights in Greece.

Being seriously concerned about the reported humanitarian crisis such as shortages in medicines and food in Greece, Bohoslavsky noted that European institutions, the International Monetary Fund and the Greek Government should give priority to ensure that everybody in Greece has access to core minimum levels of economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to health care, food and social security.

"I hope that the deal struck this week in Brussels will avoid a larger crisis in Greece," the expert was cited by his office as saying, adding that further adjustment policies should respect the human rights obligations that are binding not only for the Government of Greece, but as well for the creditor countries and lending institutions.

"There is a real legal risk that some of the harsh austerity measures could be incompatible with European and international human rights law," he said.

He added that there is a need to integrate social and distributional aspects in debt sustainability analysis to make fully informed decisions before new austerity measures are adopted.

"A debt service burden that may be sustainable from a narrow financial perspective may not be viable at all if one considers the comprehensive concept of sustainable development, which includes the protection of the environment, human rights and social development," he noted.

According to an official UN source, the UN expert has been invited by the Government of Greece to undertake an official country visit from 30 November to 7 December 2015, during which he is also planning to visit Brussels to meet representatives from European institutions, the IMF and main creditor countries.

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