Supporting the Work of the Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights

Description What is done in the programme or project and why, what results are pursued, who benefits from the activities and who are involved in the implementation.

This is a project proposal to support the work of the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Professor Philip Alston, during 2016 and 2017. This funding will enable the Special Rapporteur to develop thematic expertise and engage with stakeholders on 1) Deepening the understanding of how economic and social rights can be treated as human rights 2) The human rights due diligence of international financial institutions 3.) Financial Inclusion and Human Rights 4) Taxation and human rights 5). Conducting country missions to testing and applying the findings and recommendations of thematic reports Funding by the Finnish government in 2015 was instrumental in facilitating research and background work and ensuring stakeholder hearings or the Special rapporteur’s annual report to the General Assembly and the Human rights Council. The report to the GA that addressed the World Bank and its approach to Human Rights, scrutinized the Bank’s legal policy, public relations, policy analysis, operations and safeguards. The report explained the reasons for the Bank’s aversion to human rights, made the case for a new approach, and explained what difference a nuanced and carefully designed human rights policy would make for the organization. The report concludes with specific recommendations to the World Bank, its members and other actors in the international system. The Finnish Government’s funding was also important in enabling the Special Rapporteur report to the Human rights Council, the report covering the links between income poverty and discrimination. The report argues that a human rights framework is critical in addressing extreme inequality. It points out that discrimination is a key factor in causing economic inequalities, and emphasized the need to recognize the right to social protection and to implement fiscal policies specifically aimed at reducing inequalities. The Special Rapporteur is unpaid and has a full-time teaching load at New York University. The Finnish funding enabled the Special Rapporteur to secure indebt research and write high-quality reports with specific recommendations as well as ensure appropriate follow-up.