Social Forum of The Human Rights Council by UN News / Center for Economic and Social Rights 10:29am 1st Sep, 2009   Sept 2009    Social security as a human right. (UN News)    The second meeting of the Social Forum of the Human Rights Council stressed the need to reaffirm linkages between poverty and human rights when developing and implementing strategies for recovery from the global economic meltdown.    “The current economic and financial crisis threatens to wipe out the relative progress made in poverty eradication in the past. More than half of the world is likely to see an increase in individuals living in extreme poverty”, said Deputy High Commissioner Kyung-wha Kang at the Social Forum. “In this context, the linkages between poverty and human rights must be clearly acknowledged. Poverty is as much a cause as it is a consequence of human rights violations.”    The Human Rights Council, foreseeing the worsening of the crisis for the most vulnerable parts of the world’s population, decided in a March 2009 resolution to address the issue of poverty alleviation in this year’s Social Forum. The forum was yet another step taken by the international community to address the challenges posed by the current economic context.    The resolution requested that the Social Forum focus on analysing the negative impacts of economic and financial crises on efforts to combat poverty, best practices of States in implementing social security programmes from a human rights perspective, and international assistance and cooperation in combating poverty.    Acknowledging the Council’s capacity to anticipate the issue, Kang further said it was “time to take the discussion on poverty and human rights from the margin of policy debates and development strategies to the forefront. We must collectively accept that poverty affects us all and demands action from us all.”    Talk of creating such a forum began over a decade ago when the United Nations felt the need for a new space for dialogue which could profit from the international community’s diversity when formulating new proposals to respond to human rights challenges.    The three-day Forum was originally an initiative of the former Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights under the former Commission on Human Rights. It soon confirmed its purpose as a unique space for discussion that could bring together Member States and grass-root organisations, thus demonstrating the importance of coordinating efforts to address the social dimension and challenges of globalization. Some 55 non-governmental organisations participated this year, and an online discussion platform was established for participants to enhance their interaction.    Notwithstanding signs of economic growth noticed recently in developed countries, the spectre of poverty looms over vulnerable groups within those societies, as well as on the world’s weaker economies. “Despite international efforts to mitigate the negative impacts of the economic and financial crises, there have already been and will continue to be devastating consequences for the most vulnerable persons in our societies”, Kang added.    She concluded by expressing her hope that the Forum would “contribute to the strengthening of national and international political commitment to integrate human rights into social development policies in times of crises, with a view to take immediate measures to protect the rights of the poor and the disadvantaged, including through safety nets and social protection interventions, and empower them so that they can participate in related decision-making processes.”    Sept 2009 (Center for Economic and Social Rights)    The UN Human Rights Council will hold the annual Social Forum between Aug 31-Sept 2 this year. The Social Forum is a space for open and interactive dialogue between the representatives of Member States, civil society, including grass-roots organizations, and intergovernmental organizations on issues linked with the national and international environment needed for the promotion of the enjoyment of all human rights by all.    This year, the focus will be on the global financial and economic crises. Specifically, it will discuss the negative impacts of the financial and economic crises on efforts to combat poverty; national anti-poverty programs and States best practices in implementing social security programs from a human rights perspective; and international assistance and cooperation in combating poverty.    Keynote speaker will be world renowned author and UN Messenger of Peace, Paulo Coelho. Panelists will include Magdalena Sepulveda, UN Human Rights Council"s Indpendent Expert on the question of human rights and extreme poverty; Cephas Lumina, Independent expert on the effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States on the full enjoymnet of human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights; Rudi Muhammad Rizki, Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity; representatives from the ILO, WHO, UNCTAD; various Member States; representatives of civil society, including South Centre, Amnesty International, 3D, and the Lutheran World Federation, among others. The Social Forum will provide time for thematic discussions and interactive debate, resulting in an outcome report for the Human Rights Council.    * The Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR) works to promote social justice through human rights. In a world where poverty and inequality deprive entire communities of dignity, justice and sometimes life, we seek to uphold the universal human rights of every human being to education, health, food, water, housing, work, and other economic, social and cultural rights essential to human dignity. Visit the link below to access more details. Visit the related web page
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