Independent Expert on human rights and extreme poverty

Press Releases

17 October 2009: "No green shoots of recovery for the world's poor"

1 October 2009: "Pensions are the key to human rights for poor older persons and their families"

28 August 2009: "Zambia needs to move from rhetoric to action," says UN expert

26 June 2009 - Don't forget human rights, UN Experts urge General Assembly session on financial crisis

10 December - "Economic, social and cultural rights: legal entitlements rather than charity" say UN Human Rights Experts

9 December 2008 “Corruption affects disproportionally persons living in poverty, especially women”, says UN Human Rights Expert.”

14 November 2008 - Experta Independiente culmina su visita a Ecuador
[English] [Spanish]

17 October 2008 - Financial crisis must not lessen obligation to fight poverty, warns UN expert [French] [Spanish]

6 October 2008 – Independent expert on the question of human rights and extreme poverty joins other twelve experts of the UN Human Rights Council statement at the start of Dignity and Justice for Detainees Week
A global initiative launched by the High Commissioner for Human Rights -- which takes place from 6-12 October 2008:

30 April 2008: Newly appointed Independent Expert on extreme poverty, to assume her functions on 1 May
The United Nations Human Rights Council appointed a new Independent Expert on extreme poverty during its 7th session held in March 2008. Ms. Magdalena Sepulveda, a Chilean national, will assume her role as of 1 May 2008.
Ms. Sepulveda will be presenting the annual report of her predecessor to the Human Rights Council during its 8th session in June. During this session, the mandate will also be reviewed by the 47 member-state body in the hope of being renewed for a further three years… continue

11 June 2007: Council hears from Experts on right to food, toxic and dangerous wastes, adequate housing and extreme poverty
The Human Rights Council this afternoon discussed the reports of the Special Rapporteurs on the right to food, toxic and dangerous products and wastes, adequate housing and human rights and extreme poverty.
At the beginning of the meeting, the Council concluded the interactive dialogue on the reports presented in the morning by the Special Rapporteurs on the independence of judges and lawyers, and on racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.... continue

15 November 2005:Independent expert on human rights and extreme poverty concludes visit to united states
Arjun Sengupta, Independent Expert of the Commission on Human Rights on the question of human rights and extreme poverty, has concluded a fact-finding mission to the United States of America. The mission took place from 23 October to 8 November 2005 at the invitation of the Government.
The purpose of the mission was to consider and learn from the experience of the United States in addressing the different aspects of extreme poverty: income poverty, human development poverty and… continue

Other Press Releases

Secretary General

Economic and Social Council

8 July 2008: Increased investment in agriculture in developing countries can be ‘trigger’ for economic growth, poverty reduction, ecosoc told
While 75 per cent of the world’s poor lived in rural areas and were involved in farming, a mere 4 per cent of official development assistance (ODA) was earmarked for agriculture in developing countries, experts told the Economic and Social Council today, as they urged scaling up investments that could spur new opportunities for agriculture and open multiple pathways out of poverty.
Opening the second expert panel… continue

General Assembly

20 February 2008: Second United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty
On 19 December 2007, the General Assembly proclaimed 2008 to 2017 as the second United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty, in order to support efficient and coordinated action for attaining internationally agreed development goals on poverty reduction, including the Millennium Development Goals (resolution 62/205). In doing so, the Assembly described the eradication… continue

27 March 2008: General Assembly to seek urgent action on poverty, education, health to achieve millennium development goals
With progress lagging in the global attempt to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, the United Nations General Assembly will hold a special two-day debate in New York on 1-2 April to accelerate progress and to help tackle the most intractable problems.
The debate, “Recognizing the achievements, addressing the challenges and getting back on track to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015”, will concentrate on… continue

18 September 2006: Extreme poverty has deepened, General Assembly midterm review told as officials urge reinvigorated global partnership to boost prospects for poorest countries
While slight increases in development aid since 2002 had raised health and education standards among the world’s poorest countries, extreme poverty had actually deepened, senior United Nations officials warned today as they called for a reinvigorated global partnership of donor nations, civil society, and the private sector, working alongside the least developed countries, to improve the prospects of some 370 million people now forced to live on less than $1 a day... continue