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Translation Spanish:

Contenido migrado de AMP

Although Angola has one of the highest GDP per capita in Sub-Saharan Africa, average life expectancy is 41 years and 69 percent of Angolans live below the poverty line. Although Angola's 27-year civil war took a heavy toll on the country, data suggests that given its resources, not enough progress in realizing economic and social rights has been made since the end of the war in 2002.

Making Human Rights Accountability More Graphic

CESR's fact sheet (aqui em portugu??s)  on Angola provides a graphic overview of selected elements of the human rights to education, health and water, seeking to highlight areas where government efforts to realize these rights may be inadequate. It was prepared in light of Angola's appearance before the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) in November 2008.

The 41st Session of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

CESCR is the body of independent experts that monitors implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights by its States parties.

Part of CESCR's 41st session (3-21 November 2008 in Geneva) focused on the consideration of the state reports submitted by Angola. The discussion of this meeting can be found here. Based on the information provided in the fact sheet, the Committee experts asked the Angolan government questions about:

  • The lack of improvements in access to improved sanitation;
  • Low public expenditure on health, high incidence of malaria and the low rate of treatment, even though malaria is a principal cause of morbidity in children under the age of five;
  • Widespread female illiteracy in rural areas.

In light of its consideration of Angola's reports, and the subsequent discussion, the Committee adopted its concluding observations. These concluding observations list principal subjects of concern along with suggestions and recommendations to the State party. Some listed concerns that were presented by the fact sheet include:

  • "The Committee notes with concern that, in spite of the State party's significant economic growth and huge natural wealth, the resources allocated to social services and public infrastructure are far from adequate."
  • "The Committee notes with concern that, despite the unprecedented economic growth, a high percentage of the population of the State party lives in poverty and extreme poverty, including persons living in rural and deprived urban areas..."
  • "The Committee is concerned about the high incidence of acute malnutrition and chronic malnutrition in all the provinces of the State party, particularly affecting children..."
  • "The Committee is concerned about the poor physical conditions, poor access to adequate food and water..."
  • "The Committee is concerned about the very high maternal, infant and under-five mortality rates...The Committee notes with deep concern that life expectancy in the State party is only 41 years..."
  • "The Committee notes with concern that: (a) indicators for education in the State party are very low; (b) the illiteracy rate among people over 15 years is very high.."
  • "The Committee regrets that the budget allocated to the education decreased between 2004 and 2006, despite the rapidly rising number of children in the school age..."

Other NGO Reports

Other NGOs also contributed parallel reports on the Angolan government's compliance with the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Angolan Civil Society produced a report on The Right to Education, to Housing, to Employment, to Health and to Food. The report was contributed to by the following Angolan organizations. Their contact information can be found at the end of their report:

  • Angola Open Society Foundation
  • Association of Reintegration of Young People and Children
  • Association Justice, Peace and Democracy
  • Network of Women living with HIV/AIDS
  • Association of Constructing Communities
  • Ac??

    ??o Humana, Teachers National Union

  • Rede Terra
  • Angolan Association for the Struggle against AIDS
  • Coalition for Reconcilation
  • Transparency and Citizenship
  • Network of People living with AIDS
  • Association Luta Pela Vida

Amnesty International also submitted a report focusing on adequate housing and forced evictions.

Get Involved

To find out more about how the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights works, and how you can work with it, see CESR's manual on how to submit reports. There are also various legal means related to the UN to hold states to account for their legal human rights obligations.

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