“I compare this meagre sum with the trillions being spent on recovery by developed countries”, he said.   António Guterres was speaking at the High Level Climate Vulnerable Countries Leaders’ Dialogue, Tuesday, during the UN’s  climate conference.   According to news reports, the latest diplomatic effort, led by Germany and Canada, aims to pull together the required funding by 2023, three years after the deadline established by the .  Speaking to journalists, the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, said that “further action from countries around the world" was needed to make that happen; John Kerry, US President Joe Biden’s special envoy on climate change, confirmed this intention.  “I urge the developed world to accelerate delivery on the $100 billion dollars to rebuild trust”, Mr. Guterres said.  

Adaptation works 

The Secretary-General stressed the importance of these investments saying that adaptation works, early warning systems spare lives, and climate-smart agriculture and infrastructure save jobs.      That is why, Mr. Guterres explained, he keeps asking all donors to allocate half their climate finance to adaptation.    Currently, just a quarter of these funds go towards adaptation, around $20.1 billion. It is estimated that the adaptation costs to developing countries could rise to as much as $300 billion dollars a year by 2030.   The UN chief compared the investment to the vast funds being spent on COVID-19 recovery, by countries that can afford it.  Advanced economies are investing nearly 28 per cent of their Gross Domestic Product into economic recovery. For middle-income countries, that number falls to 6.5 per cent. For the Least Developed Countries, it’s less than two per cent.   Mr. Guterres argued that vulnerable countries must have faster and easier access to finance. He believes that could be achieved by reducing red tape, increasing eligibility thresholds and offering debt relief.  “You represent those who are first to suffer and those who are last to receive help”, Mr. Guterres told representatives from vulnerable nations at COP26. “The solidarity you need is lacking. The solidarity needs to emerge here, in Glasgow.”  

The battle to keep 1.5 alive will be won or lost during this decade

Climate goals 

According to the latest data from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (), the current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) would result in a still catastrophic temperature rise of up to 2.7 degrees Celsius.   With the announcements made in the last few days, Mr. Guterres said that “it’s difficult to calculate” where the world stands right now, but he is certain that “significantly more ambition” is needed from G20 nations, who collectively account for 80 per cent of carbon pollution.    “The battle to keep 1.5 alive will be won or lost during this decade”, he said.   According to him, to keep this goal alive, every country and region must commit to net zero emissions and pursue concrete and credible near-term targets.   “I urge the Climate Vulnerable Forum to continue to serve as the custodians of climate ambition”, he concluded.  

Small Island States 

This morning, also at COP26, the President of the General Assembly met with Heads of State and Government of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).  Abdulla Shahid highlighted that no other group of countries are as at risk of immediate and severe climate impact and no others are as close to the frontlines as they are.   Mr. Shahid also stressed that few have been as ambitious in their Nationally Determined Contributions as the island nations. 

“I compare this meagre sum with the trillions being spent on recovery by developed countries”, he said.   António Guterres was speaking at the High Level Climate Vulnerable Countries Leaders’ Dialogue, Tuesday, during the UN’s  climate conference.   According to news reports, the latest diplomatic effort, led by Germany and Canada, aims to pull together the required funding by 2023, three years after the deadline established by the .  Speaking to journalists, the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, said that “further action from countries around the world" was needed to make that happen; John Kerry, US President Joe Biden’s special envoy on climate change, confirmed this intention.  “I urge the developed world to accelerate delivery on the $100 billion dollars to rebuild trust”, Mr. Guterres said.  

Adaptation works 

The Secretary-General stressed the importance of these investments saying that adaptation works, early warning systems spare lives, and climate-smart agriculture and infrastructure save jobs.      That is why, Mr. Guterres explained, he keeps asking all donors to allocate half their climate finance to adaptation.    Currently, just a quarter of these funds go towards adaptation, around $20.1 billion. It is estimated that the adaptation costs to developing countries could rise to as much as $300 billion dollars a year by 2030.   The UN chief compared the investment to the vast funds being spent on COVID-19 recovery, by countries that can afford it.  Advanced economies are investing nearly 28 per cent of their Gross Domestic Product into economic recovery. For middle-income countries, that number falls to 6.5 per cent. For the Least Developed Countries, it’s less than two per cent.   Mr. Guterres argued that vulnerable countries must have faster and easier access to finance. He believes that could be achieved by reducing red tape, increasing eligibility thresholds and offering debt relief.  “You represent those who are first to suffer and those who are last to receive help”, Mr. Guterres told representatives from vulnerable nations at COP26. “The solidarity you need is lacking. The solidarity needs to emerge here, in Glasgow.”  

The battle to keep 1.5 alive will be won or lost during this decade

Climate goals 

According to the latest data from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (), the current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) would result in a still catastrophic temperature rise of up to 2.7 degrees Celsius.   With the announcements made in the last few days, Mr. Guterres said that “it’s difficult to calculate” where the world stands right now, but he is certain that “significantly more ambition” is needed from G20 nations, who collectively account for 80 per cent of carbon pollution.    “The battle to keep 1.5 alive will be won or lost during this decade”, he said.   According to him, to keep this goal alive, every country and region must commit to net zero emissions and pursue concrete and credible near-term targets.   “I urge the Climate Vulnerable Forum to continue to serve as the custodians of climate ambition”, he concluded.  

Small Island States 

This morning, also at COP26, the President of the General Assembly met with Heads of State and Government of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).  Abdulla Shahid highlighted that no other group of countries are as at risk of immediate and severe climate impact and no others are as close to the frontlines as they are.   Mr. Shahid also stressed that few have been as ambitious in their Nationally Determined Contributions as the island nations. 

“I compare this meagre sum with the trillions being spent on recovery by developed countries”, he said.   António Guterres was speaking at the High Level Climate Vulnerable Countries Leaders’ Dialogue, Tuesday, during the UN’s  climate conference.   According to news reports, the latest diplomatic effort, led by Germany and Canada, aims to pull together the required funding by 2023, three years after the deadline established by the .  Speaking to journalists, the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, said that “further action from countries around the world" was needed to make that happen; John Kerry, US President Joe Biden’s special envoy on climate change, confirmed this intention.  “I urge the developed world to accelerate delivery on the $100 billion dollars to rebuild trust”, Mr. Guterres said.  

Adaptation works 

The Secretary-General stressed the importance of these investments saying that adaptation works, early warning systems spare lives, and climate-smart agriculture and infrastructure save jobs.      That is why, Mr. Guterres explained, he keeps asking all donors to allocate half their climate finance to adaptation.    Currently, just a quarter of these funds go towards adaptation, around $20.1 billion. It is estimated that the adaptation costs to developing countries could rise to as much as $300 billion dollars a year by 2030.   The UN chief compared the investment to the vast funds being spent on COVID-19 recovery, by countries that can afford it.  Advanced economies are investing nearly 28 per cent of their Gross Domestic Product into economic recovery. For middle-income countries, that number falls to 6.5 per cent. For the Least Developed Countries, it’s less than two per cent.   Mr. Guterres argued that vulnerable countries must have faster and easier access to finance. He believes that could be achieved by reducing red tape, increasing eligibility thresholds and offering debt relief.  “You represent those who are first to suffer and those who are last to receive help”, Mr. Guterres told representatives from vulnerable nations at COP26. “The solidarity you need is lacking. The solidarity needs to emerge here, in Glasgow.”  

The battle to keep 1.5 alive will be won or lost during this decade

Climate goals 

According to the latest data from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (), the current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) would result in a still catastrophic temperature rise of up to 2.7 degrees Celsius.   With the announcements made in the last few days, Mr. Guterres said that “it’s difficult to calculate” where the world stands right now, but he is certain that “significantly more ambition” is needed from G20 nations, who collectively account for 80 per cent of carbon pollution.    “The battle to keep 1.5 alive will be won or lost during this decade”, he said.   According to him, to keep this goal alive, every country and region must commit to net zero emissions and pursue concrete and credible near-term targets.   “I urge the Climate Vulnerable Forum to continue to serve as the custodians of climate ambition”, he concluded.  

Small Island States 

This morning, also at COP26, the President of the General Assembly met with Heads of State and Government of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).  Abdulla Shahid highlighted that no other group of countries are as at risk of immediate and severe climate impact and no others are as close to the frontlines as they are.   Mr. Shahid also stressed that few have been as ambitious in their Nationally Determined Contributions as the island nations. 

“I compare this meagre sum with the trillions being spent on recovery by developed countries”, he said.   António Guterres was speaking at the High Level Climate Vulnerable Countries Leaders’ Dialogue, Tuesday, during the UN’s  climate conference.   According to news reports, the latest diplomatic effort, led by Germany and Canada, aims to pull together the required funding by 2023, three years after the deadline established by the .  Speaking to journalists, the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, said that “further action from countries around the world" was needed to make that happen; John Kerry, US President Joe Biden’s special envoy on climate change, confirmed this intention.  “I urge the developed world to accelerate delivery on the $100 billion dollars to rebuild trust”, Mr. Guterres said.  

Adaptation works 

The Secretary-General stressed the importance of these investments saying that adaptation works, early warning systems spare lives, and climate-smart agriculture and infrastructure save jobs.      That is why, Mr. Guterres explained, he keeps asking all donors to allocate half their climate finance to adaptation.    Currently, just a quarter of these funds go towards adaptation, around $20.1 billion. It is estimated that the adaptation costs to developing countries could rise to as much as $300 billion dollars a year by 2030.   The UN chief compared the investment to the vast funds being spent on COVID-19 recovery, by countries that can afford it.  Advanced economies are investing nearly 28 per cent of their Gross Domestic Product into economic recovery. For middle-income countries, that number falls to 6.5 per cent. For the Least Developed Countries, it’s less than two per cent.   Mr. Guterres argued that vulnerable countries must have faster and easier access to finance. He believes that could be achieved by reducing red tape, increasing eligibility thresholds and offering debt relief.  “You represent those who are first to suffer and those who are last to receive help”, Mr. Guterres told representatives from vulnerable nations at COP26. “The solidarity you need is lacking. The solidarity needs to emerge here, in Glasgow.”  

The battle to keep 1.5 alive will be won or lost during this decade

Climate goals 

According to the latest data from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (), the current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) would result in a still catastrophic temperature rise of up to 2.7 degrees Celsius.   With the announcements made in the last few days, Mr. Guterres said that “it’s difficult to calculate” where the world stands right now, but he is certain that “significantly more ambition” is needed from G20 nations, who collectively account for 80 per cent of carbon pollution.    “The battle to keep 1.5 alive will be won or lost during this decade”, he said.   According to him, to keep this goal alive, every country and region must commit to net zero emissions and pursue concrete and credible near-term targets.   “I urge the Climate Vulnerable Forum to continue to serve as the custodians of climate ambition”, he concluded.  

Small Island States 

This morning, also at COP26, the President of the General Assembly met with Heads of State and Government of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).  Abdulla Shahid highlighted that no other group of countries are as at risk of immediate and severe climate impact and no others are as close to the frontlines as they are.   Mr. Shahid also stressed that few have been as ambitious in their Nationally Determined Contributions as the island nations. 

“I compare this meagre sum with the trillions being spent on recovery by developed countries”, he said.   António Guterres was speaking at the High Level Climate Vulnerable Countries Leaders’ Dialogue, Tuesday, during the UN’s  climate conference.   According to news reports, the latest diplomatic effort, led by Germany and Canada, aims to pull together the required funding by 2023, three years after the deadline established by the .  Speaking to journalists, the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, said that “further action from countries around the world" was needed to make that happen; John Kerry, US President Joe Biden’s special envoy on climate change, confirmed this intention.  “I urge the developed world to accelerate delivery on the $100 billion dollars to rebuild trust”, Mr. Guterres said.  

Adaptation works 

The Secretary-General stressed the importance of these investments saying that adaptation works, early warning systems spare lives, and climate-smart agriculture and infrastructure save jobs.      That is why, Mr. Guterres explained, he keeps asking all donors to allocate half their climate finance to adaptation.    Currently, just a quarter of these funds go towards adaptation, around $20.1 billion. It is estimated that the adaptation costs to developing countries could rise to as much as $300 billion dollars a year by 2030.   The UN chief compared the investment to the vast funds being spent on COVID-19 recovery, by countries that can afford it.  Advanced economies are investing nearly 28 per cent of their Gross Domestic Product into economic recovery. For middle-income countries, that number falls to 6.5 per cent. For the Least Developed Countries, it’s less than two per cent.   Mr. Guterres argued that vulnerable countries must have faster and easier access to finance. He believes that could be achieved by reducing red tape, increasing eligibility thresholds and offering debt relief.  “You represent those who are first to suffer and those who are last to receive help”, Mr. Guterres told representatives from vulnerable nations at COP26. “The solidarity you need is lacking. The solidarity needs to emerge here, in Glasgow.”  

The battle to keep 1.5 alive will be won or lost during this decade

Climate goals 

According to the latest data from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (), the current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) would result in a still catastrophic temperature rise of up to 2.7 degrees Celsius.   With the announcements made in the last few days, Mr. Guterres said that “it’s difficult to calculate” where the world stands right now, but he is certain that “significantly more ambition” is needed from G20 nations, who collectively account for 80 per cent of carbon pollution.    “The battle to keep 1.5 alive will be won or lost during this decade”, he said.   According to him, to keep this goal alive, every country and region must commit to net zero emissions and pursue concrete and credible near-term targets.   “I urge the Climate Vulnerable Forum to continue to serve as the custodians of climate ambition”, he concluded.  

Small Island States 

This morning, also at COP26, the President of the General Assembly met with Heads of State and Government of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).  Abdulla Shahid highlighted that no other group of countries are as at risk of immediate and severe climate impact and no others are as close to the frontlines as they are.   Mr. Shahid also stressed that few have been as ambitious in their Nationally Determined Contributions as the island nations. 

“I compare this meagre sum with the trillions being spent on recovery by developed countries”, he said.   António Guterres was speaking at the High Level Climate Vulnerable Countries Leaders’ Dialogue, Tuesday, during the UN’s  climate conference.   According to news reports, the latest diplomatic effort, led by Germany and Canada, aims to pull together the required funding by 2023, three years after the deadline established by the .  Speaking to journalists, the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, said that “further action from countries around the world" was needed to make that happen; John Kerry, US President Joe Biden’s special envoy on climate change, confirmed this intention.  “I urge the developed world to accelerate delivery on the $100 billion dollars to rebuild trust”, Mr. Guterres said.  

Adaptation works 

The Secretary-General stressed the importance of these investments saying that adaptation works, early warning systems spare lives, and climate-smart agriculture and infrastructure save jobs.      That is why, Mr. Guterres explained, he keeps asking all donors to allocate half their climate finance to adaptation.    Currently, just a quarter of these funds go towards adaptation, around $20.1 billion. It is estimated that the adaptation costs to developing countries could rise to as much as $300 billion dollars a year by 2030.   The UN chief compared the investment to the vast funds being spent on COVID-19 recovery, by countries that can afford it.  Advanced economies are investing nearly 28 per cent of their Gross Domestic Product into economic recovery. For middle-income countries, that number falls to 6.5 per cent. For the Least Developed Countries, it’s less than two per cent.   Mr. Guterres argued that vulnerable countries must have faster and easier access to finance. He believes that could be achieved by reducing red tape, increasing eligibility thresholds and offering debt relief.  “You represent those who are first to suffer and those who are last to receive help”, Mr. Guterres told representatives from vulnerable nations at COP26. “The solidarity you need is lacking. The solidarity needs to emerge here, in Glasgow.”  

The battle to keep 1.5 alive will be won or lost during this decade

Climate goals 

According to the latest data from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (), the current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) would result in a still catastrophic temperature rise of up to 2.7 degrees Celsius.   With the announcements made in the last few days, Mr. Guterres said that “it’s difficult to calculate” where the world stands right now, but he is certain that “significantly more ambition” is needed from G20 nations, who collectively account for 80 per cent of carbon pollution.    “The battle to keep 1.5 alive will be won or lost during this decade”, he said.   According to him, to keep this goal alive, every country and region must commit to net zero emissions and pursue concrete and credible near-term targets.   “I urge the Climate Vulnerable Forum to continue to serve as the custodians of climate ambition”, he concluded.  

Small Island States 

This morning, also at COP26, the President of the General Assembly met with Heads of State and Government of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).  Abdulla Shahid highlighted that no other group of countries are as at risk of immediate and severe climate impact and no others are as close to the frontlines as they are.   Mr. Shahid also stressed that few have been as ambitious in their Nationally Determined Contributions as the island nations. 

Presenting his , The persistence of poverty: how real equality can break the vicious cycle, Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Olivier De Shutter, said that “with political will”, it is possible to end centuries of entrenched inequality and “move from fate to opportunity”.  

Early investment 

"Investing in early childhood, promoting inclusive education, given young adults a basic income financed through inheritance taxes, and combating anti-poor discrimination are the key ingredients needed to break the cycles of advantage and disadvantage”, Mr. De Shutter said in his statement.   Acknowledging that many countries pride themselves on ensuring high levels of social mobility, the human rights expert stated that “the truth is that the persistence of privilege at the top, and deprivation at the bottom, are all too commonplace.”  “The top 10 percent of people living in OECD countries control 52 percent of total net wealth, while the bottom 60 percent own just over 12 percent, condemning the poor to a lifetime of poverty”, he said. According to the report, based on data from countries which are part of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), it takes four to five generations for children in low-income households to reach the mean income in their country. In emerging countries such as Brazil, Colombia or South Africa, it can take up to nine or even more generations.  

Tougher with time 

Observing that children born in disadvantaged families were denied equal opportunity, the Special Rapporteur examined the channels through which poverty is perpetuated, in the areas of health, housing, education and employment.  “Children born in poor families have less access to healthcare, decent housing, quality education and employment than those in better-off households", De Shutter said. "This dramatically reduces their chances of breaking free from the poverty trap”.   Describing the outcomes as “appalling”, the Rapporteur added that children born in a family experiencing poverty are more than three times as likely to be poor, aged 30, than those who were never poor. 

Poverty costs 

The UN rights expert reminded that child poverty is not only “morally unconscionable and a human rights violation”, but also expensive. “In the United States, child poverty costs over one trillion dollars annually, or 5.4% of its GDP, but for each dollar invested on reducing it, seven dollars would be saved,” said the expert.   Calling for and end to the myth that inequality is an incentive that encourages people to work harder, Mr. De Shutter said that the facts point to the exact opposite: “Inequality lowers social mobility and entrenches advantage and disadvantage over decades. When we fetishize merit, we stigmatize those in poverty or with low incomes, and blame them for their own condition”.  

Call for action 

Stressing that “no child should be penalized for being born in poverty” in mind, and stating that, in fact, “poverty is a failure not of the individual, but of society”, Mr. De Shutter called on governments to act now, “before another generation is condemned to the same fate as their parents”.   Mr. De Shutter was appointed as the  on 1 May 2020.   He and all Special Rapporteurs are tasked with examining and reporting back on a specific human rights theme, or a country situation.  The positions are honorary, and the experts are neither UN staff, nor paid for their work. 

Presenting his , The persistence of poverty: how real equality can break the vicious cycle, Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Olivier De Shutter, said that “with political will”, it is possible to end centuries of entrenched inequality and “move from fate to opportunity”.  

Early investment 

"Investing in early childhood, promoting inclusive education, given young adults a basic income financed through inheritance taxes, and combating anti-poor discrimination are the key ingredients needed to break the cycles of advantage and disadvantage”, Mr. De Shutter said in his statement.   Acknowledging that many countries pride themselves on ensuring high levels of social mobility, the human rights expert stated that “the truth is that the persistence of privilege at the top, and deprivation at the bottom, are all too commonplace.”  “The top 10 percent of people living in OECD countries control 52 percent of total net wealth, while the bottom 60 percent own just over 12 percent, condemning the poor to a lifetime of poverty”, he said. According to the report, based on data from countries which are part of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), it takes four to five generations for children in low-income households to reach the mean income in their country. In emerging countries such as Brazil, Colombia or South Africa, it can take up to nine or even more generations.  

Tougher with time 

Observing that children born in disadvantaged families were denied equal opportunity, the Special Rapporteur examined the channels through which poverty is perpetuated, in the areas of health, housing, education and employment.  “Children born in poor families have less access to healthcare, decent housing, quality education and employment than those in better-off households", De Shutter said. "This dramatically reduces their chances of breaking free from the poverty trap”.   Describing the outcomes as “appalling”, the Rapporteur added that children born in a family experiencing poverty are more than three times as likely to be poor, aged 30, than those who were never poor. 

Poverty costs 

The UN rights expert reminded that child poverty is not only “morally unconscionable and a human rights violation”, but also expensive. “In the United States, child poverty costs over one trillion dollars annually, or 5.4% of its GDP, but for each dollar invested on reducing it, seven dollars would be saved,” said the expert.   Calling for and end to the myth that inequality is an incentive that encourages people to work harder, Mr. De Shutter said that the facts point to the exact opposite: “Inequality lowers social mobility and entrenches advantage and disadvantage over decades. When we fetishize merit, we stigmatize those in poverty or with low incomes, and blame them for their own condition”.  

Call for action 

Stressing that “no child should be penalized for being born in poverty” in mind, and stating that, in fact, “poverty is a failure not of the individual, but of society”, Mr. De Shutter called on governments to act now, “before another generation is condemned to the same fate as their parents”.   Mr. De Shutter was appointed as the  on 1 May 2020.   He and all Special Rapporteurs are tasked with examining and reporting back on a specific human rights theme, or a country situation.  The positions are honorary, and the experts are neither UN staff, nor paid for their work. 

Presenting his , The persistence of poverty: how real equality can break the vicious cycle, Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Olivier De Shutter, said that “with political will”, it is possible to end centuries of entrenched inequality and “move from fate to opportunity”.  

Early investment 

"Investing in early childhood, promoting inclusive education, given young adults a basic income financed through inheritance taxes, and combating anti-poor discrimination are the key ingredients needed to break the cycles of advantage and disadvantage”, Mr. De Shutter said in his statement.   Acknowledging that many countries pride themselves on ensuring high levels of social mobility, the human rights expert stated that “the truth is that the persistence of privilege at the top, and deprivation at the bottom, are all too commonplace.”  “The top 10 percent of people living in OECD countries control 52 percent of total net wealth, while the bottom 60 percent own just over 12 percent, condemning the poor to a lifetime of poverty”, he said. According to the report, based on data from countries which are part of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), it takes four to five generations for children in low-income households to reach the mean income in their country. In emerging countries such as Brazil, Colombia or South Africa, it can take up to nine or even more generations.  

Tougher with time 

Observing that children born in disadvantaged families were denied equal opportunity, the Special Rapporteur examined the channels through which poverty is perpetuated, in the areas of health, housing, education and employment.  “Children born in poor families have less access to healthcare, decent housing, quality education and employment than those in better-off households", De Shutter said. "This dramatically reduces their chances of breaking free from the poverty trap”.   Describing the outcomes as “appalling”, the Rapporteur added that children born in a family experiencing poverty are more than three times as likely to be poor, aged 30, than those who were never poor. 

Poverty costs 

The UN rights expert reminded that child poverty is not only “morally unconscionable and a human rights violation”, but also expensive. “In the United States, child poverty costs over one trillion dollars annually, or 5.4% of its GDP, but for each dollar invested on reducing it, seven dollars would be saved,” said the expert.   Calling for and end to the myth that inequality is an incentive that encourages people to work harder, Mr. De Shutter said that the facts point to the exact opposite: “Inequality lowers social mobility and entrenches advantage and disadvantage over decades. When we fetishize merit, we stigmatize those in poverty or with low incomes, and blame them for their own condition”.  

Call for action 

Stressing that “no child should be penalized for being born in poverty” in mind, and stating that, in fact, “poverty is a failure not of the individual, but of society”, Mr. De Shutter called on governments to act now, “before another generation is condemned to the same fate as their parents”.   Mr. De Shutter was appointed as the  on 1 May 2020.   He and all Special Rapporteurs are tasked with examining and reporting back on a specific human rights theme, or a country situation.  The positions are honorary, and the experts are neither UN staff, nor paid for their work. 

Presenting his , The persistence of poverty: how real equality can break the vicious cycle, Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Olivier De Shutter, said that “with political will”, it is possible to end centuries of entrenched inequality and “move from fate to opportunity”.  

Early investment 

"Investing in early childhood, promoting inclusive education, given young adults a basic income financed through inheritance taxes, and combating anti-poor discrimination are the key ingredients needed to break the cycles of advantage and disadvantage”, Mr. De Shutter said in his statement.   Acknowledging that many countries pride themselves on ensuring high levels of social mobility, the human rights expert stated that “the truth is that the persistence of privilege at the top, and deprivation at the bottom, are all too commonplace.”  “The top 10 percent of people living in OECD countries control 52 percent of total net wealth, while the bottom 60 percent own just over 12 percent, condemning the poor to a lifetime of poverty”, he said. According to the report, based on data from countries which are part of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), it takes four to five generations for children in low-income households to reach the mean income in their country. In emerging countries such as Brazil, Colombia or South Africa, it can take up to nine or even more generations.  

Tougher with time 

Observing that children born in disadvantaged families were denied equal opportunity, the Special Rapporteur examined the channels through which poverty is perpetuated, in the areas of health, housing, education and employment.  “Children born in poor families have less access to healthcare, decent housing, quality education and employment than those in better-off households", De Shutter said. "This dramatically reduces their chances of breaking free from the poverty trap”.   Describing the outcomes as “appalling”, the Rapporteur added that children born in a family experiencing poverty are more than three times as likely to be poor, aged 30, than those who were never poor. 

Poverty costs 

The UN rights expert reminded that child poverty is not only “morally unconscionable and a human rights violation”, but also expensive. “In the United States, child poverty costs over one trillion dollars annually, or 5.4% of its GDP, but for each dollar invested on reducing it, seven dollars would be saved,” said the expert.   Calling for and end to the myth that inequality is an incentive that encourages people to work harder, Mr. De Shutter said that the facts point to the exact opposite: “Inequality lowers social mobility and entrenches advantage and disadvantage over decades. When we fetishize merit, we stigmatize those in poverty or with low incomes, and blame them for their own condition”.  

Call for action 

Stressing that “no child should be penalized for being born in poverty” in mind, and stating that, in fact, “poverty is a failure not of the individual, but of society”, Mr. De Shutter called on governments to act now, “before another generation is condemned to the same fate as their parents”.   Mr. De Shutter was appointed as the  on 1 May 2020.   He and all Special Rapporteurs are tasked with examining and reporting back on a specific human rights theme, or a country situation.  The positions are honorary, and the experts are neither UN staff, nor paid for their work.