Poverty is a Violation of Human Rights
The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights defines poverty as a human condition characterized by sustained or chronic deprivation of the resources, capabilities, choices, security and power necessary for the enjoyment of an adequate standard of living and other civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights. Poverty has been and remains a constructed social and economic reality. The poor are not poor simply because they are less human or because they are physiologically or mentally inferior to others whose conditions are better off. On the contrary, their poverty is often a direct or indirect consequence of society’s failure to establish equity and fairness as the basis of its social and economic relations.
Conventionally, extreme poverty is measured against the World Bank standard of living off of US$1 per day or less. Based on this parameter, in 1998, over 800 million people were living in extreme poverty in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa alone (Para. 8, Human Rights and Extreme Poverty, Report submitted by Ms. A.-M. Lizin, Independent Expert, pursuant to Commission Resolution 2000/12, E/CN.4/2001/54. 16 Feb. 2001). Among the most blighted subgroups are extremely poor children and women. Worldwide, nearly 8 million children die from diseases caused by dirty water or poisoned air each year, 150 million children under five years of age are gravely malnourished, with another 260 million suffering from maladies such as anemia that are associated with vitamin and mineral deficiencies. In addition, there are 250 million child laborers worldwide. Women comprise 70 percent of those living in absolute poverty. Over one billion people are estimated to lack access to a basic water supply, and roughly 2.4 billion people live without adequate sanitation. 790 million people worldwide suffer from undernourishment. According to the World Bank, globally, 9 in 100 boys and 14 in 100 girls of school age do not attend to primary school.
Poverty is indisputably the most potent violation of all human rights, and constitutes a threat to the survival of the greatest numbers of the human population. As poverty has intensified in both rich and poor nations alike, the view of poverty as a human rights and social justice issue has gained increased recognition. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has resolved that extreme poverty and exclusion from society constituted a violation of human dignity (General Assembly Resolution 53/146 on Human Rights and Extreme Poverty adopted December 18, 1992).
The historical emphasis on C&P rights over ESC rights helped to reinforce a view of poverty as an extra-human right category consigned to be addressed by market forces, the development process or fate contrary to the proclamation by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) that the enjoyment of freedom of speech and belief, freedom from fear and want is the highest aspiration of all people.
A rights-based approach to poverty views the poor as holding inalienable, fundamental rights that must be respected, protected and fulfilled. Noting this, the U.N. General Assembly has recognized that surmounting extreme poverty constitutes an essential means to the full enjoyment of political, civil, economic, social and cultural rights.
National strategies for poverty reduction suggested by the United Nations Independent Expert on Human Rights and Extreme Poverty include:
- enacting legislation on a minimum guaranteed income
- providing microcredit
- maintaining active local authorities
- increasing social investment funds
- building linkages of social assistance with employment by means of reintegration
- founding an environment that encourages education (especially for girls)
- legal assistance
- monitoring of prisons
- participation of the poorest people in information programs
- police training
- anti-corruption legislation
- specific measures targeted at disadvantaged groups like programs to cover the costs of primary care, hygiene and specific diseases associated with extreme poverty
Some initial resources available for ESC rights defenders that are relevant to poverty eradication are:
- Draft Guidelines on Human Rights Approaches to Poverty Reduction Strategies
- Poverty Matrix
- Poverty Monitoring Database
- Statements and Reports of the Independent Expert on Human Rights and Extreme Poverty “Human Rights and Governance” and “Human Rights and Poverty” (Video Lectures)
- Poverty Mapping: Global GIS Database on Poverty and Food Security
- Halving Extreme Poverty: An Action Strategy for the United Nations
The following case studies and summaries illustrate how human rights defenders have used the ESC rights approach to campaign for the eradication of poverty: