ITEM 10: Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Mr. Chairperson,

At the very outset, Pax Romana wishes to point out that "Macro-economic policies have a differential impact on men and women, with women bearing the brunt of the socio economic costs associated with financial crises and from policy choices which increase inequality. In order to overcome the deficiencies in the international economic and financial systems there is a pressing need for better co-operation, policy coherence and democratic control at a global level.

The Independent Expert on the Effects of Structural Adjustment and Foreign Debt, Mr Fantu Cheru amply demonstrates this central issue, both in his oral presentation as well as in his report contained in document E/CN.4/2001/56. Increasingly, such policies and practices are pushing millions of men and women back into poverty. "Desired social and human rights objectives, such as equity, provisioning of needs etc. need to be central to macroeconomic policy making if we are to advance a people-centred development or rights-based approach to development." (Prof. Fantu Cheru, 2 April 2001)

Similarly, Prof. Jean Ziegler, Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food (E/CN.4/2001/53) has indicated "the major socio economic obstacles that hinder or prevent the realization of the right to food. These obstacles not only underscore the importance of how the member States should re-design their policy choices, if they have to regain "food sovereignty" as well as the centrality of the pre-eminent actors, in particular the multilateral institutions and the multinationals who need to re-affirm their explicit commitment towards the realization of the economic, social and cultural rights, amidst overwhelming surplus.

Under globalisation, "accumulating evidence on the relationship between trade liberalization and food security and poverty suggests that there will be more losers than winners." Specifically, it would be crucial to his study that Prof Ziegler examines this liberalization under the World Trade Organisation (WTO)'s Agreement on Agriculture signed in 1994 as well as Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) of the World Bank. These agreements and programmes led many countries of the South as well as transition economies to make significant changes in their food and agricultural policies. Among the changes are privatization of state-run enterprises, elimination of subsidies and price controls, etc under the SAPs, as well as to reduce tariffs on food imports under the Agreement on Agriculture. "Women, who produce 60 to 75% of food in most African countries have been affected disproportionately by the elimination of subsidies, the drying up of credit (even though the World Bank is a late comer to micro credit) and the surge of food import as a result of trade liberalization. Incomes of farming families have come under serious pressure. As a result, many have been forced to cut back on the quality and frequency of their meals"(John Madeley, SEEDLING, December 2000).

Mr Chairman,

This brings us to the question raised by the Peruvian Theologian, Fr Gustavo Gutierrez who said, "Where will the poor sleep in the 21 ^st century?". The preliminary efforts of Mr M. Kothari are in this direction as he stated yesterday. "Another important aspect that needs attention is the growing number of people living in inadequate housing as manifestation of poverty. There is new form of discrimination which is coming into being, not necessarily because of race, class or gender, religion but essentially because you are poor". In Mumbai today, on the government admission more than half of the twelve million residents live in slums. They occupy four to six percent of the total land area of the city. The crisis that the absence of adequate housing has created in Mumbai is a serious one. It needs to be tackled at different levels through multiple approaches that are humane and decisive (Ms. K. Sharma, The Hindu, 1 Feb. 2001)

All these reports as well as the one on the Right to Universal Primary Education by Prof. Katarina Tomaseuski (E/CN.4/2001/52) bring us to that pivotal efforts of Mme Lizine on Human Rights and Extreme Poverty (E/CN.4/2001/54) which clearly shows that poverty renders all human rights inoperative and that "extreme poverty is in a no-man's land where people are abandoned by exclusion systems and where the different authorities do not know how to work together" (Me Louis Pettiti)

Her studies as well as her questionnaires point out the indivisibility of the object of rights. The late Me Pettiti on Human Rights and Extreme Poverty said, "denial of right to housing leads to a formal and practical incapacity not only to enjoy the majority of civil rights but also at the very least to look for work, to send one's children to school and to experience harmonious family relations. A homeless person repels others and a homeless family is even more a subject of reproach". Indeed the very presence of the extremely poor is an assault on society, which responds by other forms of violence. The main issues which the poor face everyday have to do with violence by the State, and the absence of basic human and economic rights that leaves them open to violence by other vested groups including political and extremist groups and the escalation of ethnic violence, in which the poorest are inevitably the victims.

Lastly, Pax Romana has taken note of the study on Trafficking of Toxic Waste by Mme Fatma Zohra Ouhachi Vesely (E/CN.4/2001/55 and add.1). The report as well as the case files show us the ugly face of globalisation and its mechanisms. It is a both moral and ethical challenge that calls for better global governance and global ethics which would provide us a better environment. As Pax Romana declared in its recent world assembly, "The search for global ethic must be based on the central concern of caring for human well-being and of sharing the benefits of development among all peoples in pursuit of common good". (Para. 12, Final Statement of the ICMICA Plenary Assembly, Paris, September 2000)

In conclusion, Pax Romana associates itself with all the recommendations proposed by various Special Rapporteurs and Independent Experts regarding adequate mobilization of both human and material resources on the part of the global community. We wish to continue to join in consultations of all these Rapporteurs and Experts with the multilateral and multinational institutions for ethically sound macroeconomic policies and practices.

Thank you, Mr Chairman.