Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights to attend civil society briefing in Wales
Professor Philip Alston, the UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, will attend a civil society briefing in Wales on 6 November, hosted by Children in Wales in Cardiff. This is part of the Special Rapporteur’s visit to the UK from 5-16 November. The event has been organised by the Observatory on Human Rights in Swansea University.
The civil society briefing will inform the Special Rapporteur’s investigation into poverty in the United Kingdom (UK), looking into government efforts to eradicate poverty and how this relates to meeting the UK’s human rights obligations under international law.
The UK is one of the richest countries in the world, but many people still live in poverty, including children and working families.
At the event, the Bevan Foundation and Oxfam will give an overview of poverty and the impact of austerity in Wales. This will be followed by three themed presentations: Children in Wales will present on the effect of poverty on children from Children in Wales, Shelter Cymru and Tai Pawb will discuss housing issues, and Disability Wales, the Bridgend Coalition of Disabled People and Join the Dots will give a presentation on poverty issues affecting disabled people.
Caerphilly Youth Forum have also made a film that will be shown during the session. The group used forum theatre to highlight issues of food poverty; bullying relating to income and clothes; lack of access to libraries and internet; and transport.
Children in Wales works to tackle child poverty, including running the End Child Poverty Network Cymru. We believe that no child should be disadvantaged because of family income.
Tackling poverty should be a priority for the Welsh Government and UK Government. Poverty can have a devastating effect on a child’s life, with children feeling hungry and cold, and less able to join in activities that their peers do. It is associated with lower academic attainment and poorer health outcomes and employment prospects.
