PHM-Exch> The fight against poverty and human rights

[Claudio Schuftan]

*THE FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY AND HUMAN
RIGHTS<http://cetim.ch/en/documents/report_11.pdf>
*

*CETIM,  n°11 - June 2012 - PDF*

http://cetim.ch/en/documents/report_11.pdf



One must face the facts: as conceived and pursued now, poverty reduction
policies cannot succeed; this in spite of the well-intentioned efforts of
thousands of social workers and volunteers.



How can one claim to fight poverty if, at the same time, one is carrying
out policies that create poverty? By privatizing public services and
charging those who use them, by laying off workers and reducing
unemployment compensation, by maintaining social assistance below the
poverty level, by privatizing pensions... one can only increase the number
of poor. By the same token, in the Third World, by selling huge tracts of
land and chasing small-holders from their lands, by leaving the way open to
huge transnational corporations that are not obliged to respect any social,
environmental, fiscal, human rights policies, by underpaying the workers,
one can only make poverty permanent.

But, perhaps, the purpose of these strategies is it not to eliminate
poverty? Perhaps, one might be satisfied just to avoid conflicts, to
maintain a certain social cohesion and to help the poor to better formulate
their social demands? In that case, the poor are certainly helped and will
be better able to evaluate their situation themselves and to present their
demands; as for their poverty, it will not be diminished for all that.



The only real solution to poverty is to end the process of impoverishment.

That means setting up an economic and social system subject to democratic
control, which will correct the inequalities and rectify the injustices, an
economic system respectful of decent work standards, of the environment,
and of human rights. That will also mean creating a system of social
protection and public services. (1)



The “pursuit of growth” is a dead-end.



That means above all that poverty must be viewed not as a problem of the
poor but as a problem of society overall. If one wants to fight effectively
against poverty, the crying inequalities of our society must be fought. In
1992, the 20% richest persons in the world had 82.7% of the overall income.
Today, 1% of them controls 50% of the world's wealth. In 20 years, there
has been a concentration of wealth (and power) in the hands of a tiny
minority. It is one more proof – if any more were needed – that poverty
cannot be eliminated without an equitable sharing of wealth, without a fair
tax system,

without income redistribution.



The fight against poverty and against inequality is not possible through

charity.  It will never succeed without radical changes: it is the current
system that produces ever greater inequality. (2)



Poverty is a denial of human rights (civil, political, economic, social and
cultural), as the United Nations human rights bodies affirm. Treating the
question of poverty from the perspective of human rights makes it possible
to take the fight against poverty out of the realm of charity where it is
presently situated. Moreover, poverty cannot disappear without the respect
of all human rights, which implies the elimination of all discrimination,
the right to an adequate standard of living allowing for health, education,
housing, etc. These last elements are listed in the International Covenant
on Economic, Social and Political Rights, and governments are under
obligation to respect them, to see that they are respected by others
(financial and international trade institutions as well as transnational
corporations, for example) and to implement them, at both the national and
the international level.

_________________

(1) Today, faced with the failure of the various anti-poverty programs, the
United Nations is beginning to talk once again about universal social
protection and even about a transformative social protection. The ILO, for
its part, adopted in June 2012 a recommendation on “a social protection
floor” related to its campaign for universal social security coverage.



(2)The rich love philanthropy and spend ever more on it. The 50 biggest
donors in the United States spent some US$ 10.4 billion last year. The
great foundations such as Bill and Melinda Gates, Bono, Rockefeller and
Ford, give away more than many national governments. Philanthropy concerns
only a tiny part of their income and puts them under no obligations. They
can give what – and to whomever – they want, and there is no control over
their priorities nor over their choices. On the other hand, the powerful of
the world (whether legal or physical persons) have recourse to all sorts of
maneuvers to avoid paying taxes, to avoid observing regulations protective
of safety in the work place, of the

environment and of human rights.
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