Statement by Ms. Kyung-wha Kang, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights to the 2009 Social Forum

2009 Social Forum

1 September 2009, 10 am (Room XX)





Mr. Chairperson, Ambassador Logar,
Distinguished Delegates and Participants,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is an honour for me to address you this morning. Thank you for giving me the opportunity in the second day of the session.

Ambassador Logar, allow me to congratulate you on your nomination as the Chairperson-Rapporteur of the second session of the Social Forum. I am heartened to hear that under your capable guidance, the first day of the Forum has already given rise to fruitful discussions on the important issues relating to social security and human rights. It is encouraging to see that the unique space of the Social Forum, preserved by the Human Rights Council for facilitating dialogue on socio-economic issues, has continued to grow in scope and significance.

With commendable foresight, the Human Rights Council decided that the Social Forum this year should focus on the critical issues relating to anti-poverty efforts in the context of the economic and financial crises.

Indeed, the current economic and financial crisis threatens to wipe out the relative progress made in poverty eradication in the past and more than half of the world is likely to see an increase in individuals living in extreme poverty. In this context, the linkages between poverty and human rights must be clearly acknowledged. Poverty is as much a cause as it is a consequence of human rights violations.

It is time to take the discussion on poverty and human rights from the margin of policy debates and development strategies to the forefront. We must collectively accept that poverty affects us all and demands action from us all. It is neither the sole responsibility of those afflicted by it, nor is it an accidental consequence of decisions and events beyond our control. As the Secretary-General stated in his message for the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty last year, “many governments have pledged new resources to bolster food security, eradicate disease, ensure access to water and sanitation, and manage the financial crisis. These commitments are not a matter of charity, but an obligation in the pursuit of human rights for all.” Indeed, we need to treat poverty eradication as a human rights obligation that can be fulfilled within our lifetime.

Distinguished Participants,

It is timely for the 2009 Social Forum to devote special attention to social security against the backdrop of the ongoing crises. It is important to learn how governments and other stakeholders are trying to overcome the challenges of diminishing revenue and reserves as well as increasing expenditure, owing to the demands in employment, housing and social assistance benefits. Successful examples have already been shared at this Forum of social security programmes in combating poverty in different parts of the world, including Africa, Latin America, Europe and Asia, that have delivered much faster results than the trickle-down effect of economic policies.
A consensus emerged in recent years that social protection should not be seen as a cost, but as an investment in people and a powerful tool to alleviate poverty and inequality. It took a long time in getting to this realization in the development sector, when the champions of human rights knew this with clarity from the very beginning.
Thus, social security was recognized as a human right in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, which states in article 22 that “Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security” and in article 25(1) that everyone has the “right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control”. The right was subsequently incorporated in a range of international and regional human rights treaties, including in Article 9 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Thus, the right to social security is of central importance in guaranteeing human dignity for all persons when they face circumstances depriving them of their capacity to fully realize the complete range of economic and social rights.
Within the efforts to mobilize international cooperation in this area and in response to the financial and economic crisis, several UN system-wide initiatives have been put into place, including “A Social Protection Floor”, agreed last April at the meeting of the UN Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB). OHCHR is participating in a cluster on this initiative with a view to strengthening its human rights angle and ensuring access to basic social services, shelter, and empowerment as well as protection of the poor and vulnerable.
The present crises require a committed, coordinated and comprehensive response by the international community in order to bridge the gap in the implementation of the development goals with a human rights approach. But the crisis is also an opportunity to build a basic set of social protection guarantees for all citizens beyond mitigating the immediate effects of the crises on the poor and the disadvantaged social groups.
Ladies and Gentleman,

Despite international efforts to mitigate the negative impacts of the economic and financial crises, there have already been and will continue to be devastating consequences for the most vulnerable persons in our societies. As highlighted in the background report submitted to this Forum by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, it is crucial to pay special attention to the challenges faced by women. For example: in the situations of economic vulnerability women are often left at the end of the job ladder; and through periods of such economic-based tensions violence against women increases. Of equal importance are: the rights of migrants, as their capacity to create more equitable distribution of global wealth, through their remittances, have been affected by the crisis; also, the rights of indigenous peoples, whose economic and political marginalization has been exacerbated by the crisis; then, the rights of children, who will also suffer from the diminished financial resources for their welfare and education; and also the rights of persons with disabilities, who may not always have the necessary access to social protection mechanisms. All these vulnerabilities must be given special consideration in the discussions to follow.

International assistance and cooperation is key to translating the wealth that globalization has created into equitable development and the enjoyment of human rights of all. In an interdependent world, for a majority of poor countries, the challenge of transcending macroeconomic constraints on growth and implementing appropriate policies at the national level will continue to depend on the support of international institutions and donor countries. International support is essential for building up national capacity so that development strategies encompass the various dimensions of poverty within the broad MDGs framework. It is widely recognized under international law, that in addition to the primary responsibility that States have for the human rights of those within their jurisdictions, they also have a collective obligation to take joint action to remove obstacles to the realization of universal human rights that are beyond the ability of any single state to address.
Mr. Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I hope that the Social Forum will contribute to the strengthening of national and international political commitment to integrate human rights into social development policies in times of crises, with a view to take immediate measures to protect the rights of the poor and the disadvantaged, including through safety nets and social protection interventions, and to empower them so that they can participate in related decision-making processes.

I am also hopeful that the constructive discussions during this Forum can contribute to greater participation and inclusiveness in development and poverty eradication strategies that could effectively harness the resources and insights that civil society and national institutions can offer.

I wish you all the very best in your discussions.

Thank you.