Summary (English)

The present report is submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 8/11. In this report, the independent expert on the question of human rights and extreme poverty has chosen as her thematic focus cash transfer programmes (CTPs). These are non-contributory programmes providing payments in the form of cash to individuals or households. The primary objective of CTPs is to increase the real income of beneficiaries in order to enable a minimum level of consumption within the household. CTPs have been identified as effective tools for poverty eradication due to their capacity to reduce economic inequalities and break the intergenerational transmission of poverty. Yet these programmes have seldom been discussed or analysed from a human rights perspective.

The independent expert recognizes that CTPs are a tool that can assist States in fulfilling their obligations under national, regional and international human rights law. The transfers may have an impact on the exercise of a number of economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights. In particular, CTPs have the potential to assist in the realization of the right to an adequate standard of living, including adequate food, clothing and housing.

Nonetheless, CTPs are not necessarily the most appropriate and effective means of tackling extreme poverty and protecting human rights in all contexts. CTPs should be seen as only one component of social assistance policies. As such, they must be integrated within social protection systems and grounded by solid legal and institutional frameworks framed by human rights standards and principles. This report aims to promote further analysis of the impact of CTPs on the fulfilment of the human rights of beneficiaries.