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Links between poverty and human rights

Right to life and to physical integrity

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 3;
• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, article 6.

The lives and physical well-being of people living in extreme poverty are continuously threatened by lack of food, risk of disease, hazardous work and precarious living conditions. They experience violence of all types, including attacks, harassment, intimidation, severe discrimination and, in some cases, even death threats. Poor women are particularly vulnerable to domestic and other forms of gender-specific violence.

Right to recognition as a person before the law and to be registered

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 6;
• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, articles 16 and 24.

Due to lack of legal domicile and the high direct and indirect costs of registration, people living in poverty are often not recognized before the law and face significant obstacles in registering their children. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that in 2003, the births of around 48 million children (36 per cent of total births worldwide that year) were unregistered.7 Not being registered, i.e., not having a legal identity, makes it very difficult to enrol in school, to obtain employment, to benefit from social services, to exercise political rights, to prove parentage, to marry, to prove nationality, to travel freely and outside of national borders, to take proceedings before a court or even to avoid being imprisoned. The recognition of this right is therefore a prerequisite for the realization of many other rights.

Right to justice

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights, articles 10 and 11;
• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, articles 14 and 15.

People living in poverty are particularly vulnerable to violations of their rights, but they often cannot avail themselves of the most effective tool to defend themselves against these abuses — court protection. They are hindered from access to justice by financial constraints, illiteracy, lack of education and information, lack of selfconfidence, the complexity of procedures, mistrust and fear stemming from their experience of the justice system and the slow pace of justice. This is of particular concern, as people living in poverty are more likely than others to be discriminated against and their fundamental human rights are often violated with impunity.

Right to take part in political affairs

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 21.

Due to lack of information and political power, people living in poverty cannot participate meaningfully in political decisionmaking processes. Social discrimination and lack of housing, education and civil registration are additional obstacles to the exercise of political rights. Poor people are thus unable to influence policies to their benefit and their specific needs remain neglected. In addition, the very poor are also more exposed than others to unscrupulous manipulation of freedom of choice.

Right to participate in social and cultural life

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 22;
• International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, article 15.

As a unifying force of society, culture is an important ingredient in social integration and serves as protection against social exclusion. However, the cultures of minorities and indigenous groups are frequently not respected, and people living in poverty often lack the basic capability to participate actively in the social, cultural and political life of their communities.

Right to decent work

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 23;
• International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, articles 6, 7, 8 and 9.

Finding formal employment is often impossible for the poor due to social discrimination and lack of housing, education or training. They are therefore forced to find work in the informal economy. Such work tends to be low skilled, insecure, hazardous and too poorly paid to guarantee an adequate standard of living. Since their labour is often the only asset that people living in poverty own, securing the right to decent work is instrumental to the enjoyment of other rights such as food, health and housing.

Right to a decent standard of living

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 25.

People living in poverty are often malnourished and do not have adequate clothing, shelter, access to water and sanitation, medical care and social services. This adversely affects their ability to claim other rights they are entitled to, such as the right to education, health and work, thereby reinforcing the vicious circle of poverty.

Right to adequate food

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 25;
• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, article 11.

Adequate food is needed for human survival and for a healthy life. Undernutrition handicaps people for life: hungry children cannot concentrate at school and hunger reduces workers’ productivity. Poverty may lead to undernutrition and undernutrition is likely to deepen poverty.

Right to housing

• International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, article 11;
• Convention on the Rights of the Child, article 27.

Housing of the very poor — if they have any — tends to be built with low-quality materials, often lacks running water, sanitation facilities and electricity and is often located in unhealthy environments far away from basic services. It is frequently insecure as a result of legal or arbitrary evictions and the inability of the poor to pay even a minimal rent regularly. Additionally, poor housing has a major impact on the exercise of other rights, such as the rights to health and employment. Precariousness of housing can also affect educational attainment by hindering regular school attendance and hampering children’s intellectual and physical development through lack of stability, lack of space, an unhealthy environment, overcrowding and noise.

Right to health

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 25;
• International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, article 12.

Ill health contributes to poverty by reducing worker productivity, lowering educational achievements and limiting opportunities. At the same time, ill health is often a consequence of poverty. Health services for poor people are often inaccessible, inadequate or ill-equipped. Mortality rates are much higher, life expectancy is considerably reduced and pregnancy and childbirth are particularly risky for the poor. Although they are the ones most exposed to disease, the poorest population groups are the least often covered by vaccination campaigns.

Right to education

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 26;
• International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, articles 13 and 14.

Education is one of the most effective ways of breaking the vicious cycle of poverty and is crucial for the realization of other rights, such as the rights to work, health and political participation. However, it often remains inaccessible to those who live in poverty. When family income is insufficient, children are forced to join in the daily quest for family subsistence or work outside the home. This has a negative impact on their ability to learn and go to school. Poor children who are able to attend school are sometimes rejected or discriminated against at school owing to their social origins.

Sources: E/CN.4/Sub.2/1996/13; Draft Guidelines: A Human Rights Approach to Poverty Reduction Strategies, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (2002).