Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights : Looking back to look ahead : a rights-based approach to social protection in the post-COVID-19 economic recovery
2020
Notice détaillée
Symbole***
TitreSpecial Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights : Looking back to look ahead : a rights-based approach to social protection in the post-COVID-19 economic recovery
AccèsEnglish
Résumé
The UN’s independent expert on extreme poverty said in a report published on 11 September 2020 that while governments have adopted more than 1,400 social protection measures since the outbreak of COVID-19 they were largely insufficient, and warned the worst impacts on poverty were yet to come. “The social safety nets put into place are full of holes,” said Olivier De Schutter, calling on world leaders at the UN General Assembly in New York to strengthen measures to help the poor. “These current measures are generally short-term, the funding is insufficient, and many people will inevitably fall between the cracks.” The economic downturn resulting from the pandemic is unprecedented in times of peace since the Great Depression, he said, adding another 176 million people could fall into poverty when using a poverty baseline of 3.20 USD/day. This is equivalent to an increase in the poverty rate of 2.3 percentage points compared to a no-COVID-19 scenario. World Bank data covering 113 countries show that US$589bn have been pledged for social protection, representing about 0.4 percent of the world’s GDP. However, the expert’s report says those initiatives will fail to prevent people falling into poverty. Many of the poorest people are excluded from the social protection schemes that are meant to support them.
Date[Geneva] : UN, 11 Sept. 2020
Description
24 p.