Human rights and extreme poverty
A/RES/73/163
Development, 18 as a universal and inalienable right and an integral part of
fundamental human rights,
Acknowledging the significant progress made in several parts of the world in
combating extreme poverty, however, deeply concerned that extreme poverty persists
in all countries of the world, regardless of their economic, social and cultural
situation, and is particularly severe in developing countries, and that it extends to and
manifests itself in, among other things, social exclusion, hunger, vulnerability to
trafficking in persons and disease, lack of adequate shelter, lack of access to basic
services, illiteracy and hopelessness,
Remaining deeply concerned that progress has been uneven, inequality has
increased, 1.6 billion people still live in multidimensional poverty, the total number
of persons living in extreme poverty remains unacceptably high and the non -income
dimensions of poverty and deprivation, such as access to quality education or basic
health services, and relative poverty remain major concerns,
Deeply concerned that gender inequality, gender-based violence and
discrimination exacerbate extreme poverty, disproportionally impacting women and
girls, recognizing the important role and contribution of women and girls in
eradicating poverty, and acknowledging the mutually reinforcing links between the
achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls and the
eradication of poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty,
Recognizing the importance of supporting countries in their efforts to eradicate
poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, and to promote
the empowerment of the poor and of people in vulnerable situations, including
women, children, young people, indigenous peoples, local communities, older
persons, persons with disabilities, migrants, refugees, internally displaced persons,
persons belonging to national, ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities and people
of African descent,
Concerned by the challenges faced today, including those derived from the
ongoing impact of the financial and economic crisis, food insecurity, volatile food
prices and other ongoing concerns over global food security, epidemics and large
movements of refugees and migrants, as well as the increasing challenges posed by
climate change and the loss of biodiversity, and by the resulting increase in the
number of people living in extreme poverty, and their negative effect on the capacity
of all States, especially developing countries, to fight extreme poverty,
Bearing in mind that, in order to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty
and vulnerability, promote the well-being of all persons of all ages, boost
development efforts, contribute to better outcomes for children and ad dress the
feminization of poverty, positive action needs to be taken, including in the form of
policies, at the national and international levels, that address existing inequalities in
the distribution of services, resources and infrastructure, as well as access to food,
health care, education and decent work in cities and other human settlements,
Recognizing that the eradication of extreme poverty is a major challenge within
the process of globalization that requires the coordination and continuation of
inclusive policies through decisive national action and international cooperation, and
also recognizing in this context the role of the private sector, including the corporate
sector, in the eradication of extreme poverty,
Recognizing also that social protection systems make a critical contribution to
the realization of human rights for all, in particular for those who are in vulnerable or
marginalized situations and are trapped in poverty and subject to discrimination,
__________________
18
18-22258
Resolution 41/128, annex.
3/6