REDESCA Calls on States to Combat Poverty and Inequality with Effective Economic and Fiscal Policies

October 17, 2024

Washington, D.C. – On the occasion of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, the Special Rapporteurship on Economic, Social, Cultural, and Environmental Rights (REDESCA) of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) calls on the States of the region to implement economic and fiscal policies based on a human rights approach, with the aim of eradicating poverty and combating inequality in all its forms and dimensions.

Amid growing concern over the increase in inequality in the region, REDESCA highlights that while some countries have managed to reduce poverty, inequality has persisted and even worsened in certain contexts. This concerning disconnect between public policies aimed at poverty reduction and those needed to address deep socioeconomic gaps disproportionately affects the most vulnerable populations.

REDESCA has observed that the enjoyment of human rights, which are indivisible and interdependent, is intrinsically linked to the inherent dignity of every person. However, as the Commission has pointed out, poverty, extreme poverty, and material inequality continue to be factors that systematically hinder the full guarantee of human rights under equal conditions. This situation is further aggravated by the convergence of discrimination and historical vulnerability factors, which disproportionately impact groups such as Indigenous peoples, Afro-descendants, rural populations, women, people in situations of human mobility, LGBTI persons, older adults, children and adolescents, and persons with disabilities, among others.

REDESCA warns that the region continues to face serious structural challenges, such as low economic growth, indebtedness, rising unemployment, and inflation, compounded by the increasingly evident impacts of the climate emergency. This situation presents significant obstacles to effectively combating poverty and inequality. For example, it is estimated that approximately 5.8 million people in the region will fall into extreme poverty by 2030, largely due to the climate crisis.

The implementation of effective economic and fiscal policies, with a human rights approach, is essential to strengthening democratic processes and funding the public policies needed to guarantee economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights. In this regard, REDESCA calls for a transformation of current economic and fiscal policy paradigms, aligning them with the commitments established in the OAS Charter, in order to advance toward inclusive and equitable development.

REDESCA urges the States of the region to implement comprehensive economic and fiscal policies with a focus on sustainable development, to effectively combat poverty and inequality. In this context, it has invited the States of the region to be part of the project "Public Policies to Combat Poverty and Inter-American Standards to Guarantee Human Rights in the Americas," which will begin in 2025. This project, led by REDESCA, seeks to develop concrete standards for the design and implementation of inclusive and equitable public policies, based on a comparative analysis of good practices and aligned with Inter-American human rights standards.

The Special Rapporteurship on Economic, Social, Cultural, and Environmental Rights is an office created by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) with the goal of strengthening the promotion and protection of economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights in the Americas, leading the Commission's efforts in this area.

No. RD254/24

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