Report

Country visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: inputs received

Issued by

Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights

Published

14 September 2018

Report

Issued by Special Procedures

Subjects

Economic inequality, Country visits

Symbol Number

A/HRC/41/39/Add.1

Version

See available official languages

See also

Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights

View full document record
Background

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Professor Philip Alston, undertook an official visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from 5 to 16 November 2018 at the invitation of the UK Government. His visit focused, in accordance with his mandate, on the interlinkages between poverty and the realisation of human rights in the United Kingdom.

The Special Rapporteur presented the report on his visit to the Human Rights Council at its 41st session in June 2019.

Inputs Received
Inputs Received

Before his visit, the Special Rapporteur invited all interested individuals and organisations in the United Kingdom working on issues related to poverty and human rights, including representatives of civil society organisations, experts and academics, to provide input for the preparation of his visit to the United Kingdom in November 2018.

He asked respondents to provide input on the following thematic issues:

  • General: the definition of poverty and how poverty intersects with civil, political, economic and social issues in the UK.
  • Austerity measures and their effects on individuals, vulnerable groups, governments and public services
  • Universal Credit and itsspecific impact of Universal Credit on specific groups, including for example children, persons with disabilities, those without internet access, women and other groups which may be more vulnerable on the basis of their identity and circumstances.
  • New technologies in the welfare system: the impact of new technologies including 'big data', artificial intelligence, algorithms and automated decision-making processes.
  • Child poverty: its extent, implications and causes, and the government's response.
  • 'Brexit' and the potential implications of Brexit for the situation of those living in poverty in the United Kingdom.
Academics
NHRIs
Civil Society Organisations
Individual Submissions
Public Institutions