News Analysis "Poverty is a violation of human rights"
Siddharth Narrain
Arjun K. Sengupta, the United Nations Independent Expert on Human
Rights and Extreme Poverty, visited the United States to study the impact of
Hurricane Katrina on the poor. In an interview in New Delhi, the Rajya Sabha
member says the system in the U.S. is so connected with corporate interests
that if there is any conflict human rights are ignored. Excerpts:
Photo: Sandeep Saxena
Arjun K Sengupta: "The Employment Guarantee Act is the best example of the
recognition of a right to be employed."
You have recently been on a visit to the United States to look at conditions
of extreme poverty including the condition of those affected by Hurricane
Katrina. What was the scope of the enquiry and how did this visit come
about?
Poverty is not a function of income only. From the human rights point of view
we define poverty as a denial or violation of basic human rights because it
violates your dignity. I chose the United States because that was a perfect
laboratory case for me a country that was highly developed, with a high
per capita income. But the question was whether there were cases of extreme
poverty in the country and why. I wrote to the U.S. Government through the
U.N. Human Rights Commission. Surprisingly the U.S. Government invited me to
come and look at whether extreme poverty exists and tell them what to do
about it. I accepted the invitation and went to several places. I went to
New Orleans, Louisiana. Katrina is an illustration of the proposition that
the consequences of the hurricane can be traced from a lack of recognition
of basic rights of people. I went to Harlem in New York, to Fort Myers in
Florida where immigrant communities are located, particularly Mexican
immigrants. They get paid a very small wage.
They are hired to pick oranges and tomatoes at one-third the minimum wage and
have no rights whatsoever. I went to Mississippi, predominantly a black area
where poverty is very stark. I went to the Appalachian areas, places of
white poverty. I met representatives from the U.S. Government in Washington.
The response I got from American civil society and the media was tremendous.
What exactly is your role as an independent expert on extreme poverty?
My role is to see if extreme poverty exists and what governments are doing,
and whether they could have done something different to address extreme
poverty. Take the U.S. example. They have 13 per cent extreme poverty, which
is a large number of people. They also have many social welfare programmes,
but these do not give any benefit because there is no accountability. The
basic principles of human rights of accountability, non-discrimination, and
equity are ignored because the system is so connected with corporate
interests so if there is any conflict these rights are ignored. Katrina
affected the poor black areas the worst. When the question of rebuilding
came, money was limited. They first looked after the richer areas. We
visited the worst affected, poorer areas two months after the hurricane but
there was no repair work going on. So my role is to tell the U.S. Government
what happened, and tell them this is the position from a human rights point
of view so that they can discuss what can be done.
In your report to the U.N. on extreme poverty and human rights you suggested
amending the Articles of Agreement of the World Bank and the IMF. Can you
elaborate?
The IMF and the World Bank do not accept human rights as a legal right. They
have not accepted that they cannot take any action that violates human
rights. We are trying to ask them to consider these human rights as
obligations. We are telling them that since they are institutions made up of
the governments that have accepted these human rights, which binds them.
These institutions say that they are bound by the Articles of Agreement that
do not talk of human rights.
Now, I am saying that if this is the position, then amend the Articles of
Agreement. But of late, the World Bank and the IMF have realised that as
their business is development they have to amend their policies to make them
consistent with human rights standards.
Do you see the UPA Government's Common Minimum Programme and recently passed
laws like the National Employment Guarantee Act and the Right to Information
Act as steps in the direction of tackling extreme poverty and development
within the rights framework?
Absolutely. We must realise that we need specific policies that should get
the highest priority. Liberalisation and markets are good instruments for
certain things. I think the Common Minimum Programme recognises this and has
worked out specific proposals. The Employment Guarantee Act is the best
example of the recognition of a right to be employed. The Right to
Information is a clear recognition of the human rights approach to
development.
Did you as Chairman of the National Commission for Enterprises in the
Unorganised Sector, look at specific programmes dealing with issues related
to poverty?
The Commission has worked out two bills for the unorganised informal sector
that constitutes more than 92 per cent of our total labour force. We have
worked out a scheme that will give minimum security to every individual,
i.e. old age pension, life insurance, health facilities, etc. We have also
worked out another bill on working conditions in the unorganised sector. We
are also looking at the expansion of employment that is essential for
income, facilities like health and education, and for dignity of people.
Simple market-based reforms will not be able to achieve this.
ARUN KHOTE
SECRETARY-MEDIA
NATIONAL SECRETARIAT.
NATIONAL CAMPAIGN ON DALIT HUMAN RIGHTS
8/1, 2ND FLOOR, SOUTH PATEL NAGAR
NEW DELHI-110008 INDIA
E mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Website : www.dalits.org
PH:+91 11 25842249/25842250
MB:+91-9350183802
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