E UNITED NATIONS Economic and Social Distr, GENERAL Council E/C.12/2001/10 10 May 2001 Original: ENGLISH On Poverty and ESCR COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC, AND CULTURAL RIGHTS SOCIAL Twenty-fifth session Geneva, 23 April-11 May 2001 Agenda item 5 SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES ARISING IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS: POVERTY AND THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS STATEMENT ADOPTED BY THE COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS ON 4 MAY 2001 1. In 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights established that poverty is a human rights issue.’ This view has been reaffirmed on numerous occasions by various United Nations bodies, including the General Assembly and Commission on Human Rights.? Although the term is not explicitly used in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,? poverty is one of the recurring 1 The Preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human 2 3. Rights and the common Preamble to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights emphasize the importance of “freedom from ... want". For example, see General Assembly resolution 55/106 of 4 December 2000 and Commission on Human Rights resolution 2001/31 of 23 April 2001. The term “poverty” is not found in any of the major international human rights instruments. For a recent United Nations study of the links between human rights, development and poverty, see Human Development aan 2000: Human Rights and Human Development, 50 cure ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS HANDBOOK themes in the Covenant and has always been one of the central concerns of the Committee. The rights to work, an adequate standard of living, housing, food, health and education, which lie at the heart of the Covenant, have a direct and immediate bearing upon the eradication of poverty. Moreover, the issue of poverty frequently arises in the course of the Committee’s constructive dialogue with States parties. In the light of experience gained over many years, including the examination of numerous States parties’ reports, the Committee holds the firm view that poverty constitutes a denial of human rights. 2. Accordingly, the Committee warmly welcomes the renewed commitment of a number of States and international organizations to the policy objective of poverty eradication, as well as related policy goals such as the elimination of social exclusion. The Committee regrets, however, that the human rights dimensions of poverty eradication policies rarely receive the attention they deserve. This neglect is especially regrettable because a human rights approach to poverty can reinforce anti-poverty strategies and make them more effective. 3. The present statement is aimed at encouraging the integration of human rights into poverty eradication policies by outlining how human rights generally and the Covenant in particular, can empower the poor and enhance anti-poverty strategies. It is not sought in this statement to formulate a detailed anti-poverty programme or plan of action, but to identify concisely the distinctive contribution of international human rights to poverty eradication. The preparation of operational anti-poverty programmes is a separate undertaking of the first importance which all actors should pursue as a matter of urgency and with due regard to international human rights.