 | This lady relies on an African Union-United Nations Hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID) contingent from Rwanda for water distribution. The closest water source is 1.5 hours away. (source: UN Photo/Olivier Chassot) |
17 October 2009 -- Poverty is a human rights violation. Every child, youth, man and women has the human right to a standard of living adequate for health and well-being, to food, clothing, housing, medical care and social services. These fundamental human rights are defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights treaties and declarations. The UN General Assembly declared 17 October as the International day for the Eradication of Poverty and invited all states to devote the International Day to presenting and promoting, as appropriate in the national context, concrete activities with regard to the eradication of poverty and destitution.
In recognition of the upcoming 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the 2009 observance of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty focuses on the plight of children and families living in poverty and the need to fulfill children's rights in partnership with them and in keeping with the Convention. This year’s observance highlights the role of the convention in securing children’s rights, in particular the right to survival and full development, the right to protection from abuse and exploitation and the right to participation in family, cultural and social life. Participation also means that children have the right to express their opinions and have those opinions heard and acted upon when appropriate.
Source: UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Selected learning materials
"Poverty" in Critical Choices for Hungary: Issue Materials for Social Science Curricula (Joint Eastern Europe Center for Democratic Education and Governance)
Critical Choices is not a textbook, but a resource for public discussion and debate on policy issues. These materials, and the discussions that are engendered, are intended to foster public discourse and citizen involvement.
The Right to Development (by Richard Pierre Claude)
Participatory exercise for in a workshop or in the classroom.
Nutrition Rights: The Human Right to Adequate Food and Nutrition
The purpose of this tutorial is to help its users understand the meaning of economic, social and cultural rights through study of one aspect of these rights, the human right to food and nutrition. The tutorial can be used both for self-directed learning or in a training or classroom.
Study Guide on the Right to Food & Water
An introduction to the right to food and water, including key definitions, international standards and references to other advocacy, education and training materials.
Study Guide on Sustainable Development
An introduction to sustainable development - development that ensures every person a life of dignity. This guide including key definitions, international standards and references to other advocacy, education and training materials.
International and regional instruments that aim at the eradication of poverty:
- Universal Declaration on the Eradication of Hunger and Malnutrition (1974)
- Declaration on the Right to Development (1986)
- African Charter on the Human and Peoples' Rights (1981)
- European Social Charter (1961)
- Additional Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights in the area of Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (Protocol of San Salvador) (1988)
Useful links
United Nations International Day for the Eradication of Poverty site
Second United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (2008-2017)
United Nations Cyberschoolbus Poverty Curriculum
Millennium Development Goals (UN)
| 
