Home › Explained sheets › Rights and duties
Economic and social rights and so-called third-generation rights
This sheet helps you know fundamental rights. It also helps you understand how they are applied.
Key points of the sheet
- Economic and social rights aim to give everyone dignified living conditions. They ensure access to essential resources such as education, health, work, housing and social security (sécurité sociale).
- The right to employment: everyone has the duty to work and the right to get a job. No one can be harmed in their work or job because of their origins, opinions or beliefs.
- Health protection is guaranteed to all, notably to the child, the mother and older workers. Material security, rest and leisure are also guaranteed.
- The Nation guarantees children and adults equal access to instruction, vocational training and culture. Organising free and secular public education at all levels is a duty of the State. Unlike rights linked to the person, economic and social rights need action by the State.
- "Third-generation" rights are based above all on collective solidarity. They concern French citizens and citizens of other countries, and issues such as peace or the environment.
- These rights aim to guarantee a decent life to future generations. They are said to be "rights for": among them, peace and a healthy environment.
- We must preserve rights, resources and the environment for future generations. When human rights are violated, a State can intervene in another State to help the people who are there.
- These rights are more recent. They are gradually included in French laws, but they cannot all be used before a court yet.
Words to know
- economic and social rights (droits économiques et sociaux)
- They are rights to dignified living conditions, which need the State to act.
- third generation (troisième génération)
- These rights are based above all on collective solidarity and aim to guarantee a decent life to future generations.
- Preamble to the 1946 Constitution (Préambule de la Constitution de 1946)
- This text contains the right to employment, to health protection and to free public education.
- Environmental Charter (Charte de l’environnement)
- This 2004 text says that everyone has the right to live in a balanced and healthy environment.
- humanitarian assistance (assistance humanitaire)
- When human rights are violated, a State can help the people in another State.
- collective solidarity (solidarité collective)
- It is the main basis of third-generation rights.
Test yourself: 3 questions
Which text contains the right to employment?
In French, the language of the exam: Quel texte contient le droit à l'emploi ?
The right to employment is in article 5 of the Preamble to the 1946 Constitution.
What do economic and social rights need?
In French, the language of the exam: De quoi les droits économiques et sociaux ont-ils besoin ?
Economic and social rights need the State to act to be ensured and protected.
What are third-generation rights based on?
In French, the language of the exam: Sur quoi sont fondés les droits de troisième génération ?
Third-generation rights are based above all on collective solidarity.
You have read the sheet. See where you stand with 40 questions like the real exam.
Take the free mock exam (40 questions)Free mock exam · Exam Pass €19 incl. VAT, paid once, no subscription
More in this topic (Fundamental rights)
Source
Sheet “Les droits économiques et sociaux et les droits dits de troisième génération” of the French Ministry of the Interior: formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr. Content published under the Etalab Open Licence 2.0. This page is a plain-language adaptation made by Hexaciv, which is not an official site: if in doubt, the ministry's text is the one that counts.
Ministry sheet read on 23 October 2026, still identical on 25 October 2026.