Council of Europe

The European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees civil and political human rights, is complemented by the European Social Charter (ESC), adopted in 1961 and revised in 1996, which guarantees social and economic human rights. As with most human rights instruments, the European Convention on Human Rights contains a strong statement against discrimination. Although it does not specifically name poverty as a reason for social exclusion, it mentions “property ... or other status”. Addressing the daily lives of individuals, the European Social Charter covers many of the key
components of poverty: 

• Housing: access to adequate and affordable housing; reduction of homelessness
• Health: accessible, effective health-care facilities for the entire population, including preventive illness
• Education: free primary and secondary education and vocational guidance; access to vocational and continuing training
• Employment: an economic and social policy designed to ensure full employment
• Legal and social protection: the right to social security, social welfare and social services; the right to be protected against poverty and social exclusion.

The Council of Europe Strategy for the Rights of the Child (2016-21) identified fighting child poverty as one of the priorities.

The Committee of Ministers adopted in 2015 a Recommendation on Access of young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods to social rights calling on member states to develop public policies aiming at “preventing and eradicating the poverty, discrimination, violence and exclusion” faced by young people. The Recommendation was elaborated with input from children and young people taking part in the Enter! project of the youth sector of the Council of Europe.

United Nations

There are several articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that oblige states to provide appropriate services, and support its citizens for appropriate living conditions:

• Right to social security
• Right to equal pay for equal work
• Right to rest and leisure
• Right to adequate standard of living
• Right to education
• Right to participate in cultural life

The Convention on the Rights of the Child makes extensive provision for the economic well-being of children. While parents are given the principal responsibility for the care, development and support of their child, the state is enjoined to assist parents and guardians if they are unable to adequately
care for the child (Article 18). The Convention also entitles all children to: 

• the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and to facilities for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health (Article 24)
• a standard of living adequate for the child’s physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development (Article 27)
• the right to benefit from social security, including social insurance (Article 26).

The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, adopted in 1966, commits the state parties agreed to take steps to achieve progressively the full realisation of the rights enshrined in the covenant to the maximum of their available resources. 

Based on international human rights norms and standards, the UN Guiding Principles on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights provide, for the first time, global policy guidelines focusing specifically on the human rights of people living in poverty.