UN International Forum on the Eradication of Poverty – November 2006 International Child Benefit as a Priority Peter Townsend

Percent of the world’s children severely deprived of basic human needs

The Current Anti-Poverty Strategy for the Developing Countries 1.Broad-based economic growth 2. Overseas aid 3. Human capital/ education 4 Minimal social safety nets 5. Debt relief (more recent) Outcome of Strategy after 3 decades:- Relatively unsuccessful: The primary reason is that for the poor the policies have proved to be of indirect, and small, help: for example, the results for the poor of high or low growth have not been closely monitored and the advantages of growth unambiguously demonstrated. Contributory reasons include 1) evidence of “trickle-up” growth and persistence of extreme poverty; 2) conditionality policies for loans and debt relief; 3) cost-recovery policies in basic social services; 4) cuts in public expenditure; 5) excessive or misplaced privatisation; 5) unregulated globalisation and unequal terms of trade; 6) the disproportionate powers of the global “triumvirate” (G8,TNC’s and IFA’s) Widely accepted World Bank advocacy of investment in human capital (education) has the problem of indirect outcomes: poverty eradication is postponed until a generation is better educated. The Bank’s advocacy of targeted welfare has not been accepted because of meagre allocation of resources, problems of making means- tested schemes work, and lack of relationship to universal or tax-financed group social security schemes.

Rights to Social Security and an Adequate Standard of Living Two human rights that were re-inforced in successive human rights instruments Two human rights that during attracted comparatively little attention Two human rights that may prove to be a basic means of reducing world poverty

International Covenant on Social, Economic and Cultural Rights 1966, coming into force 1976 Article 9 - The States Parties to the present Covenant recognise the right of everyone to social security, including social insurance. Article 11 (1) - The States Parties to the present Covenant recognise the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948 Article 22 - Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realisation, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organisation and resources of each state, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for their dignity and the free development of their personality. Article 25(1) – Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of their family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond their control.

Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 Article 26(I) - States parties shall recognise for every child the right to benefit from social security, including social insurance, and shall take the necessary measures to achieve the full realisation of this right in accordance with their national law. Article 27 (I) - States parties recognise the right of every child to a standard of living adequate for the child's physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development. Article 27 (3) - …and shall in case of need provide material assistance and support programmes, particularly with regard to nutrition, clothing and housing.

Cardinal features of the Human Rights Framework of Analysis: Multidisciplinarity – consequences for each discipline as well as interconnections Universal – all states parties/ international agencies, and entire wealth/ income distribution Equal – rich and poor; non-discriminatory; redistributive; reciprocity Provides for basic needs – income; services; facilities Enforcement – role of international and national law; international relations; international organisations and TNCs; the dynamics of democracy Preventive – structural; organisational; procedural Collective – society; community; multicultural; inter- generational Thoroughgoing internationalism – standardisation; measurement; analysis of globalisation

Potentialities of the Human Rights framework of analysis for children: Three propositions 1. Continuing and even deepening violations of child rights demand a new framework of thinking and a new international strategy to reconstruct economic and social organisation and relationships through the re-prioritisation of policies and action. 2. The major concepts of human rights, development, social exclusion and poverty have to be clarified – and exactly how they have to be related to each other - and measured. 3. International social policy, as devised and implemented by international agencies, TNCs and groups of states, has become the key instrument of economic and social change in the world The universality of human rights, and support for these rights, makes these propositions acceptable and viable.

Advantages of International Child benefit. It gives direct aid. Current forms of international aid (economic growth, overseas aid, debt relief, trading subsidies) are indirect, and unrelated to locations and categories of severe, and most urgent, need. More immediately effective in reducing child poverty. Direct aid in cash or kind has more immediate effects. And when such aid is sustained beyond days and months the creation and management of an administrative infrastructure each country becomes necessary. Institutional and social stability. Such infrastructure contributes to other forms of national, and international social stability and cohesion.

UN Child Investment Fund  An international children's investment fund established under the auspices of the UN is a practicable possibility. A considerable part of its annual resources, say half, could be devoted to countries with extensive child poverty, and where schemes of child benefit in cash or kind can be introduced or extended. All countries with large numbers of children who are below an internationally recognised poverty line and also with comparatively low GDP might be entitled to participate. Such participation would require dependable information that the benefits are reaching children for whom they are intended. There would have to be new and extended administrative infrastructure – with general benefit for the national organisation of communications and services. The remaining annual resources of this UN fund could be made available to countries for investment in primary education, health and other schemes of direct benefit to children.

Raising Revenue Internationally for Children New Sources of Development Finance 1. Global environment taxes 2. Taxes in currency flows (e.g Tobin) 3. New special drawing rights 4. International finance facility (UK govt) 5. Private development donations 6. Global lottery or premium bonds 7. Increased migrant remittances Source: Atkinson A.B. (2004), New Sources of development Finance, UNU-WIDER, Oxford, OUP.

Restoring the Primacy of Universal Benefits in the OECD Countries Some countries, like the UK, are cutting back on universal or group benefits and expanding selective means-tested benefits and tax- credits. This is creating problems of coverage, administrative cost and management, incentives to seek better paid employment, malfunctioning, public understanding and acceptability and social cohesion, with the objective of reducing costs becoming arguable. It also creates problems of the fulfilment of human rights in the increasingly linked spheres of domestic and international social policy. Acceptance that there can be a new future for social protection, or social security, within the context of human rights, will be a big contribution to the delivery of the MDGs, and the reduction child poverty in particular.