Center for Economic and Social Rights Records, 1989-2003, bulk 1991-2003

In 1991 an interdisciplinary research team from Harvard University traveled to Iraq to record how the Gulf War and economic sanctions had adversely affected the Iraqi population. In their exploration of the humanitarian crisis, the group focused on childhood health and malnutrition. The team interviewed mothers and other female caretakers to assess childhood mortality and morbidity. Their initial report, which found a substantial link between Gulf War era sanctions and early childhood malnutrition and death, made international headlines.

Two years later, Roger Normand, Sarah Zaidi, and Chris Jochnick (three members of the Harvard research team), founded the Center for Economic and Social Rights. The organization's founding coincided with another important development in Human Rights. In June of 1993, at the World Conference on Human Rights, the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action was adopted. The declaration affirmed that all human rights – be they civil, political, economic, social or cultural – were indivisible and interrelated, and as such they should be protected equally. In turn, CESR sought to identify the relationship between socioeconomic policies and people's rights. Throughout the 1990s and the early 2000s, CESR continued to research Iraq, partaking in a series of five research missions. In 1997, they expanded their scope of study to include adult health, as well as food security. In 2001, CESR founded the "Iraq Sanctions Project" and over the next several years they would continue to publish material against US sanctions against, and later the invasion and occupation of, Iraq.

While CESR's early work focused on Iraq, over the course of their thirty year history the organization has turned its attention to a number of regions and human rights violations. These injustices range from the mining of gold in Honduras to the mistreatment of taxi drivers in New York City. One of their early large scale projects took place in Ecuador and focused on the environment and health. Their sponsored programs include Right to Water, the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign, and the Women's Economic Equality Project (which was also founded by Sarah Zaidi). Their sister organization, Centro de Derechos Económicos y Sociales (CDES) [Center for Economic and Social Rights], was originally based in Brooklyn alongside CESR offices, but is now an independent organization based in Ecuador and operating across Latin America.

In 2004, the original founders stepped down, although they remain on the advisory council. From 2004-2008 Eitan Felner took over as Executive Director, and Ignacio Saiz took on this role from 2009-2021. During this time, the CESR offices moved to Madrid, although they have since returned to New York. Kate Donald is presently the acting Executive Director. CESR continues to conduct projects and research globally. In light of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, CESR has heightened its focus on the connection between the environment and human rights.