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The human rights approach underlines the multidimensional nature of poverty, describing
poverty in terms of a range of interrelated and mutually reinforcing deprivations, and drawing
attention to the stigma, discrimination, insecurity and social exclusion associated with poverty
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Principles and Guidelines for Human Rights
Approach to Poverty Reduction Strategies [online] Available at
<http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/PovertyStrategiesen.pdf> [Accessed 10 January 2012]
Poverty reduction has been unanimously endorsed by the international community as the
overarching goal of development. Less agreement appears to exist on what this poverty actually is
and how it should be measured. Different understandings of poverty, different approaches and
ways of thinking about poverty lead to different ways to tackle it.
At the World Summit on Social Development in Copenhagen 1995, the international community
adopted and endorsed a multidimensional definition of poverty.
Furthermore, this gathering of 118 Heads of State and Government defined also the level of
absolute poverty that is unacceptable and that should be eradicated: 1
Absolute poverty is a condition characterized by severe deprivation of basic human
needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education
and information. It depends not only on income but also on access to social services.
The Summit recommended a two-pronged strategy to attack poverty:
National strategies to reduce overall poverty substantially, including measures to
remove the structural barriers that prevent people from escaping poverty, with specific
time-bound commitments to eradicate absolute poverty by a target date to be specified
by each country in its national context.
Perspectives on poverty
Poverty can be defined in very precise technical terms that facilitate its measurement. Poverty can
also be characterized in a more multidimensional yet less precise manner that helps see
poverty in relation to its causes, its context, its consequences and the ways it is related to
phenomena that can be influenced. In the following are examples of various approaches. More
details are available in the Background Research Report on Poverty and Deprivation of Children
(pp37-79).
A. Income poverty refers to Incomes below a minimum subsistence or 50% or 60% below
the median.
The World Bank absolute poverty level is based on minimum incomes needed for basic
necessities in a number of low-income developing countries. It is equivalent to 1.25
USD7day.
In the European Union, relative poverty is defined as 60% of the median income. The
OECD uses the threshold of 50%.
B. Basic needs approach: Poverty is scarcity of resources and opportunities to satisfy basic
needs:
The ILO introduced the basic needs concept in the 1970s and 1980s. This concept
allowed for taking into account the availability in the community of public goods and
services when defining and assessing poverty. The Bristol Study (2003) on basic needs
United Nations, 1995. Report of the World Summit for Social Development [online] Available at
<http://www.un.org/documents/ga/conf166/aconf166-9.htm> [Accessed on 10 January 2012]
deprivation in developing countries used this concept in defining the various levels of
multidimensional poverty. 2
UNICEF has since applied and further developed this multidimensional concept for
measuring and describing poverty and deprivation of children. Poverty is described by
measuring a number of individual and household level resources children need and have a
right to in order to grow and develop.3
UNICEF (2005, 2010)
C. Capabilities approach: poverty and deprivation are a lack of prerequisites for selfdetermined life, lack of capabilities to manage ones life.
Capabilities are means for achieving good life, to avoid and escape from deprivations, and
to realize ones potential. Development is a widening of choices, development is freedom,
as characterized by Amarya Sen.4 Capabilities refer to both external resources and options
and human capital embedded in the person her/himself. Prevention and reduction of
poverty calls for expanding opportunities, empowerment and security, so as to enable
people to manage their lives.5
http://wdronline.worldbank.org/worldbank/a/c.html/world_development_report_2000_2
001/abstract/WB.0-1952-1129-4.abstract
The OECD multidimensional poverty concept is also an application of the capabilities
approach. The capabilities that enable people to avoid poverty, escape poverty and
achieve their life goals are: economic, human, political, socio-cultural and protective
capabilities. Gender and environment cut across these dimensions.
Summarized by Sabina Akire, 2002. Dimensions of Human Development. World Development. 30 (2), pp 181-205
[online] Available at <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X01001097> [Accessed 10 January
2012] and
UNICEF, 2007. Child poverty in perspective: An overview of child well-being in rich countries, Innocenti Report Card 7,
Florence: UNICEF [online] Available at <http://www.unicef.org/media/files/ChildPovertyReport.pdf> [Accessed 10
January 2012]
4
Amartya Sen, 2001. Development as Freedom New York: Alfred A Knopf; See also UNDP Human Development Report
1990. http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global/hdr1990/
UNDP Human Development Index and Multidimensional Poverty Index are applications of this perspective.
5
The World Bank World Development Report (WDR) 2000/2001: Attacking Poverty [online] Available at < [Accessed 10
January 2012] The World Bank World and
http://www.oecd.org/dac/povertyreduction/dacguidelinesonpovertyreduction.htm
E. Inequality approach: poverty is a process. Its essential root causes are embedded in
inequality, insecurity, vulnerability, discrimination and exclusion. Thus the ways to attack
poverty are related to more equal opportunities, decent work, economic and social
security, non-discrimination, empowerment and making social and economic institutions
more fair and accountable.7
UN-DESA, UNICEF, UN Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor (2008)8
Deepa Narayan & Patti Petesch eds., 2007. Moving out of Poverty. New York: World Band and Pallgrave MacMillan
[online] Available at <http://siteresources. worldbank.org/INTMOVOUTPOV/Resources/9780821369913.pdf>
[Accessed 10 January 2012]
7
World Bank, 2006 World Development Report 2006: Equity and Development [online] Available at
<http://go.worldbank.org/UWYLBR43C0> [Accessed 10 January 2012] and
United Nations, 2005 Inequality Predicament- Report on the World Social Situation 2005 [online] Available at
<http://hdrnet.org/61/1/The%20Inequality%20Predicament.pdf> [Accessed 10 January 2012]
United Nations, 2008 Making the Law Work for Everyone, Report of the UN Commission on Legal Empowerment of
F.
Human Rights Based Approach: Poverty is a violation of basic rights and fundamental
freedoms. It is a multidimensional and comprehensive perspective.
The human rights approach anchors the criteria for poverty and deprivation into the nonattainment of universally agreed, unalienable human rights standards and principles as the
ultimate benchmark to be attained for all. However, norms and legislation alone are not
enough to make rights materialize. Equality-oriented comprehensive social policy and good
governance are the necessary instruments for creating enabling environments for people
to avoid poverty and for moving out of poverty.
Deepa Narayan & Patti Petesch eds., 2007. Moving out of Poverty. New York: World Band and Pallgrave MacMillan
[online] Available at <http://siteresources. worldbank.org/INTMOVOUTPOV/Resources/9780821369913.pdf>
[Accessed 10 January 2012]
10
The Chronic Poverty Centre, 2006. The Chronic Poverty Report 2008-2009 [online] Available at
<http://www.chronicpoverty.org/uploads/publication_files/CPR2_ReportFull.pdf> [Accessed 10 January 2012]
In only a few countries do opportunities for social mobility effectively enable people to overcome
this tendency. In the USA, Great Britain, France and Italy this mobility is low while in the Nordic
countries, parents status has the least influence on the socioeconomic status of children.11
11
OECD, 2010 A Family Affair: Intergenerational Social Mobility across OECD Countries [online] Available at
<http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/2/7/45002641.pdf> [Accessed 10 January 2012]