Mozambique: UN expert on extreme poverty to assess challenges in poverty alleviation

GENEVA (4 April 2013) – United Nations Special Rapporteur Magdalena Sepúlveda will undertake an official visit to Mozambique from 8 to 16 April 2013 to gather first-hand information on the human rights situation of people living in poverty. She will assess the country’s efforts to protect their rights, official poverty reduction measures, and the obstacles faced both at the national and international levels.

“Despite its impressive economic growth and the encouraging development progress made in recent years, poverty continues to be widespread in Mozambique,” Ms. Sepúlveda noted. This is the first visit to the country by an independent expert on human rights and extreme poverty assigned by the UN Human Rights Council to report on initiatives to promote and protect the rights of people living in poverty.

The Special Rapporteur will devote specific attention to social protection measures and Government programmes aimed at assisting people living in rural communities, and, in particular, those who have been affected by the recent floods in the country.

Ms. Sepúlveda, who visits the country at the invitation of the Government, will engage with the authorities to identify the main obstacles impeding access to public services for people living in poverty, including health and education services and justice mechanisms, and propose strategies for tackling these obstacles and improving the enjoyment of rights by the poorest segments of society.

During her eight-day visit, the rights expert will meet with communities living in poverty in the provinces of Maputo, Gaza and Zambeiza, and with senior Government officials including representatives from various Ministries and members of Parliament. She will also hold meetings with representatives from the UN system, international agencies, the donor community, civil society and the National Human Rights Commission.

Ms. Sepúlveda will hold a press conference to share the preliminary findings of hervisit at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday 16 April 2013, at the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator, Rua Jose Craveirinha 237 in Maputo.

The Special Rapporteur’s observations and recommendations will be reflected in her final report, which will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in June 2014.

Magdalena Sepúlveda (Chile) was appointed the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights in May 2008 by the United Nations Human Rights Council. She has extensive experience in economic, social and cultural rights and holds a PhD in international human rights law from Utrecht University. She is independent from any government or organization and serves in her individual capacity. Learn more, visit: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Poverty/Pages/SRExtremePovertyIndex.aspx

UN Human Rights, Country Page – Mozambique: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/AsiaRegion/Pages/TPIndex.aspxhttp://www.ohchr.org/en/countries/africaregion/pages/mzindex.aspx

Check the Special Rapporteur’s “Guiding Principles on Human Rights and Extreme Poverty” (in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish): http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Poverty/Pages/AnnualReports.aspx

For further information and media enquiries, please contact:
In Geneva (before the visit): Orlagh McCann (+ 41 22 917 9695 / srextremepoverty@ohchr.org)
In Maputo (during the visit): Luis Zaqueu (+258 21 485 159/65/67 Telemóvel: +258 843082470 /luis.zaqueu@one.un.org) or Orlagh McCann (+41 79 201 0116/ srextremepoverty@ohchr.org)

For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts:
Xabier Celaya, UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383 / xcelaya@ohchr.org)

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