Photo : Messenger
The 2024 annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) took place from 15 January to 19 January in Davos of Switzerland against a backdrop of multiple crises, with the central theme of rebuilding trust. In this context, a new economic model that puts the individual at the centre is being debated. At the same time, the Human Rights Council (HRC) is discussing the integration of human rights into the reform of the international financial architecture.
These issues are particularly topical in view of the increase in poverty. The latest official figures show that, in 110 countries, 1.1 billion people out of 6.1 billion are poor, and that just over 18% of them live in acute multidimensional poverty. More than a third of the world's poor live in South Asia, or 389 million people. 730 million people, or almost two-thirds of all poor people, live in middle-income countries... Charitable organisations are seeing an increase in requests for assistance.
Today, poverty mainly affects pensioners, single-parent families and students. It is often reflected in limited access to basic services. One way of reducing growing inequality is to focus the economy on human rights. This approach requires a review of tax policies, the allocation of funds to the realisation of human rights, and the inclusion in budgets of indicators demonstrating the achievement of gender equality and human rights in the implementation of public policies. This also means combating tax evasion and illicit financial flows, which deprive the State of essential sources of revenue. With this in mind, in 2023 the Carthage Summit brought together Latin American and Caribbean countries to pursue a tax policy based on human rights.
Every citizen has the right to vote in elections and to run for public office themselves. There are certain exceptions. For example, people must be 18 years old or older in order to vote. Our elected governments cannot hold power for an unlimited amount of time. The Charter requires governments to call an election at least once every five years. An election could be delayed, however, during a national emergency, like a war. In this case, two-thirds of the members of the House of Commons or, in the case of provinces or territories, the legislative assembly must agree to delay the election. The Charter protects everyone’s reasonable expectation to privacy. This means that no one can search you, take away your personal belongings or access your personal information without clear legal reasons.
Authorities acting on behalf of the government, such as the police, must carry out their duties in a fair and reasonable way. For example, they cannot enter private property or take things without good reason. Police are required to get a warrant from a judge before searching someone’s home. The Charter sets out rights that deal with the interaction between the justice system and individuals. These rights ensure that individuals are treated fairly at every stage of the justice process. This is especially true if an individual is charged with a criminal offence. The Charter protects everyone against unreasonable laws that could lead to imprisonment or harm their physical safety. The law may still comply with the Charter if it is consistent with a basic set of values. For example, there must be a rational link between the law’s purpose and its effect on people’s liberty. Also, laws should not have a severe impact on people’s rights to life, liberty or security of the person.
The UN Charter makes it clear that elected representatives of legislative assemblies must sit at least once a year. This holds Parliament and all other legislatures responsible for their actions. Putting human rights at the heart of policies ensures inclusive growth, offering everyone the opportunity to live in dignity and to realise their full potential. It also implies an in-depth analysis of a country's growth, going beyond the simple measure of gross domestic product, to include indicators such as happiness, social well-being, environmental footprints and human development.
Equality rights are at the core of the Charter. They are intended to ensure that everyone is treated with the same respect, dignity and consideration (i.e. without discrimination), regardless of personal characteristics such as race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age, or mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, residency, marital status or citizenship. As a result, everyone should be treated the same under the law. Everyone is also entitled to the same benefits provided by laws or government policies. However, the Charter does not require the government to always treat people in exactly the same way. Sometimes protecting equality means that we must adapt rules or standards to take account of people's differences. An example of this would be allowing people to observe different religious holidays without losing their job. Governments can also promote equality by passing laws or creating programs that aim to improve the conditions of people who have been disadvantaged because of the personal characteristics listed above. For example, governments can create affirmative action programs targeted at increasing employment for persons with disabilities.
The UN Human Rights Committee has stated that the conduct of public affairs, referred to in article 25(a), relates to the exercise of legislative, executive and administrative powers, and covers all aspects of public administration, and the formulation and implementation of policy at international, national, regional and local levels. Citizens participate directly in the conduct of public affairs when they are elected to public office. They also do so when they vote to decide public issues through a referendum or other electoral process. Indirect participation takes place when people elect bodies such as parliaments to represent them.
This capabilities-based approach aims to take into account the multiple dimensions of well-being in a country and respond to them in a holistic way. The Universal Periodic Review mechanism can encourage states to adopt human rights-based economic policies through recommendations aimed at improving access to health, education, food and housing for all. For example, following its latest human rights review, New Zealand adopted a welfare budget, including a tax strategy to reduce child poverty.
Canada's adoption of its first-ever national housing strategy, with a particular focus on groups living in vulnerable circumstances, is another example of a commitment to human rights in response to the issue of housing affordability. A number of measures have also been adopted in Albania to improve access to education for children from disadvantaged or vulnerable backgrounds. These measures have helped to increase enrolment rates and reduce drop-out rates for these disadvantaged groups. From this point of view, the introduction of a new constitutional article is more than necessary, establishing a right to adequate food centred on production, distribution and consumption, which is an important step towards social and environmental justice.
The writer is a Geneva-based private banking compliance security expert, columnist and poet.
Messenger/Fameema
