How do international laws address poverty as a human rights issue?

International laws address poverty as a human rights issue by promoting economic, social, and cultural rights to alleviate poverty.

International laws, such as those enshrined in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), recognise poverty as a violation of human rights and call for measures to alleviate it. The ICESCR, adopted by the United Nations in 1966, recognises the right to an adequate standard of living, including food, clothing, and housing, and the continuous improvement of living conditions. It also recognises the right to work, the right to social security, and the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. These rights are directly linked to poverty alleviation, as they address the basic needs that people living in poverty often lack.

The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the ICESCR. The CESCR has stated that poverty is not only a lack of income but a denial of basic human rights. It has called on states to take steps to the maximum of their available resources to achieve progressively the full realisation of the rights recognised in the Covenant.

The United Nations has also adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim to end poverty in all its forms everywhere by 2030. The SDGs recognise that poverty is a multidimensional issue that goes beyond income poverty. They call for action to address its root causes and to create an enabling environment at all levels for sustainable development.

Furthermore, the United Nations Guiding Principles on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights provide practical guidance to states on how to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of people living in extreme poverty. They emphasise the need for states to adopt a human rights-based approach to poverty reduction and eradication.

In conclusion, international laws address poverty as a human rights issue by recognising the rights that are often denied to people living in poverty and calling for measures to ensure their realisation. They also provide guidance to states on how to implement these rights in practice.