UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty -- Update on US Visit

As previously announced, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Professor Philip Alston, will undertake a human rights fact-finding visit to the United States from 1 to 15 December 2017 to investigate government efforts to eradicate poverty in this country, and how these efforts relate to the nation's obligations under international human rights law.

The Special Rapporteur received submissions from over 45 US organizations and individuals in response to his call for input, with stakeholders urging that he visit locations ranging from Boston to New Mexico. 

Last week, the Special Rapporteur announced that he  will travel to Washington, D.C., California, Alabama, Georgia, Puerto Rico and West Virginia. During his visit, Professor Alston will meet with government officials at the federal, state and local level. He will also meet with individuals living in poverty to hear about their experiences, talk to civil society organizations working on poverty and human rights, and receive briefings from academic experts.  Among other things, he will attend the US Human Rights Network's annual gathering in Atlanta, where he will convene several listening sessions with grassroots activists.

In the press release announcing his itinerary, Professor Alston noted that “[t]he United States is among the richest countries in the world, yet deep forms of poverty and inequality continue to exist in the country."  He added, "[w]hile some may wonder why an expert on extreme poverty and human rights visits a country as rich as the United States, the reality is that many individuals in the country are income-poor, or live in multidimensional poverty.”

The Special Rapporteur's visit will culminate in a press conference at 12 noon on December 15, at the UN Information Center in Washington, D.C.  At that time, he will deliver preliminary observations and recommendations.  A final report will be presented to the Human Rights Council in June 2018.

You can follow Professor Alston's official visit through his twitter account, here.