As the world marks the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, two questions arise: how long are we willing to go on tolerating the violence and injustice of extreme poverty? And what can be done to bring about this elusive goal more swiftly?
Global pledges to eradicate poverty go back decades. In 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaimed the advent of a world in which all human beings would enjoy 'freedom from want'. Since then, numerous world conferences on human rights and development have set and re-set aspirational goals for the achievement of this vision. The Millennium Development Goals adopted at the turn of the century represent the most recent and arguably the most serious statement of commitment by the international community. The MDGs aim to halve the number of those living in extreme poverty by 2015, and set targets for combatting other poverty-related deprivations such as maternal mortality and child malnutrition.
Even if, as is likely, the poverty target is technically met, there is little grounds for complacency. More than a billion people will still be living on less than $1.25 a day, the vast majority in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia. Much of the progress over the last 25 years is due to patterns of economic growth in two countries, China and India, that predate the MDG commitments. The global food, fuel and financial crises have fuelled poverty over the last decade, laying bare the structural inequities underlying our global economic system. Social and income inequalities, both within and between countries, have in many cases widened. A day of action to eradicate poverty is a meager response to the enormity of the challenge. On current rates of progress, even the 800 days between now and 2015 will not suffice to meet the eight less-than-ambitious Millennium Goals.
CESR, like many others engaged in the process to develop a successor framework to the MDGs beyond 2015, is pushing for a paradigm shift by the time this deadline is reached. Poverty must be understood as a deprivation of human rights, power and voice. Its eradication, as a matter of obligation falling on all states - whether developing, industrialized or emerging - and powerful actors beyond and below the state. The new framework must enable those living in poverty to hold decision-makers accountable to their obligations, including the duty to realize economic and social rights as swiftly as possible using the maximum resources that are available.
The recently adopted Guiding Principles on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, are a timely boost to these frame-shifting efforts. Adopted last month by the UN Human Rights Council, they provide detailed guidance on how to apply human rights standards in efforts to combat poverty. If revitalized in light of these principles, the Millennium vision of a world without poverty may stand a chance of being fulfilled within our lifetime. Wouldn???t this be something to celebrate at the UDHR???s 100th anniversary in 2048?
The ???OPERA??? framework: meeting the challenge of economic and social rights monitoring
One of the key challenges facing those seeking to hold governments to account for their economic and social rights obligations is that of monitoring abuses that result from systemic policy failures. CESR is therefore pleased to announce the publication of two new documents designed to support human rights advocates in this crucial endeavour. The first of these, 'The OPERA Framework', presents a practical process for integrating multiple tools and techniques into a comprehensive assessment of governments??? compliance with the obligation to fulfill, while the second - 'Assessing fiscal policies from a human rights perspective' - comprises a detailed case study of the use of this framework to assess the rights to health, education and food in Guatemala. Read full article>>
Supporting Asia-Pacific rights institutions to engage with the MDGs
A new publication from the United Nations Development Program, entitled 'Accelerating Achievement of MDGs by Ways and Means of Economic and Social Rights', explores how human rights can better inform the development agenda. CESR has contributed a chapter elucidating the key role National Human Rights Institutions can play in promoting rights-based development thanks to their unique position between the state, civil society and the international human rights system. Read full article>>
CIVICUS World Assembly envisions a new social contract post-2015
Last month civil society actors from all over the world gathered in the Canadian city of Montreal for the CIVICUS World Assembly. The gathering presented a unique opportunity for a huge number of actors to share experiences and views on how to reshape and transform the global development agenda. CESR contributed to the proceedings by sharing its work on the financial crisis, and explaining how the human rights framework can better inform financial regulation. Read full article>>
Immigrants??? rights in poor health: resisting cutbacks in Spain
Across Europe vulnerable communities are being forced to pay the price of a crisis they played little role in creating. In Spain human rights concerns have been brushed aside by the government as it implements a new law which effectively denies basic health services to some 150,000 undocumented migrants. A broad coalition of civil society organizations has joined together with professional associations representing the health care sector to fight back against this unfair policy, however. Read full article>>
Making a difference: integrating a rights-based approach to preventing maternal death
Many thousands of women continue to die each year from easily preventable complications in pregnancy or childbirth. This despite the Millennium Development Goals promise, made nearly 13 years ago, to provide reproductive health services to all women everywhere. The UN Human Rights Council has recently endorsed a Technical Guidance document produced by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights explaining how human rights can and must be integrated into maternal health policies and programs. The guidelines explain the critical importance of creating effective participation and accountability systems in order to prevent the needless suffering experienced by so many women. Read full article>>
Tribute to CESR Treasurer Linda Cassano
All of us at the CESR team are deeply saddened to report the passing of our friend and colleague Linda Cassano, who lost her life to pancreatic cancer in July this year. Linda, who served on CESR???s board as treasurer from to 2008 to 2012, played a pivotal role in guiding the Center???s development and helping it fulfil its mission in recent times. Her deep commitment to our work was always evident in her determination to make sure we stayed on the cutting edge of current affairs. Her warm personality and generosity of spirit will be deeply missed by all those who knew her. Read full article>>