From 6th-16th November 2018, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, Professor Philip Alston, will be visiting the United Kingdom to carry out an investigation into the realities of life for people living in poverty. To help Professor Alston with his investigation, the Consortium for Street Children has submitted a briefing on poverty and inequality in the United Kingdom, focusing in particular on the human rights impact of homelessness on children and young people in the United Kingdom. You can read the briefing on our resource library here.
About the Special Rapporteur
A Special Rapporteur is an independent expert appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Professor Alston’s role is to to raise awareness of the systematic neglect of people living in poverty and highlight poverty’s human rights consequences. He does this in three ways:
- By conducting research and analysis, which is then reported to the UN Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly;
- By visiting countries and reporting on the situation in those countries in relation to poverty and human rights;
- By sending letters to governments and other relevant authorities when the human rights of people living in poverty have been violated.
The Special Rapporteur, by conducting an investigation into the United Kingdom and reporting his findings, aims to develop a constructive dialogue with the government about the human rights situation in their country. Our briefing aims to raise awareness at both international and national levels about the impact of homelessness and poverty on children and youth in the United Kingdom.
You can find out more about how the Consortium for Street Children advocates for the rights of street-connected children worldwide here.