TWN Info Service on UN Sustainable Development (Jun26/05)
29 June 2026
Third World Network

UN: Rights expert calls for paradigm shift in global anti-poverty efforts
Published in SUNS #10471 dated 29 June 2026

Penang, 26 Jun (Kanaga Raja) -- There must be a fundamental shift in global anti-poverty strategies, moving beyond the notion that economic "growth" is the only path to eradicating poverty, according to the new United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Elena Diaz Galan.

The UN expert's assessment came while presenting the "Roadmap for Eradicating Poverty Beyond Growth" to the 62nd regular session of the UN Human Rights Council on 25 June.

"What matters to people living in poverty is not abstract economic expansion, but real improvements in living conditions. Poverty is multidimensional and lived; it cannot be reduced to income, or solved by growth alone," Ms Diaz Galan said.

The final report as well as the Roadmap, prepared by the previous Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Mr Olivier De Schutter, highlights the transformative potential of national anti-poverty strategies developed through genuine participatory processes.

When people experiencing poverty help define priorities, policies become more ambitious, realistic and impactful - better aligned with actual needs and more likely to improve lives, according to the Roadmap.

Furthermore, these strategies strengthen democratic decision-making and restore trust by ensuring that those most affected are at the centre of policy design.

Crucially, such strategies challenge the entrenched belief that growth is a precondition for social progress.

However, evidence shows that the current economic growth model does not reliably reduce poverty and often deepens inequalities. While economic growth remains necessary for low-income countries in particular, to finance infrastructure and improve living standards, it is essential that this growth is carefully shaped so that it does not exacerbate inequalities or drive environmental degradation.

In contrast, national anti-poverty strategies can provide a governance framework to move beyond this paradigm, reorienting decision-making towards well-being, equality and sustainability.

The previous Special Rapporteur, Mr De Schutter, had unveiled his "Roadmap for Eradicating Poverty Beyond Growth" on 22 April, calling for a decisive change in how governments and international institutions tackle the issue.

"For decades, the dominant narrative has been that economic growth is the only route out of poverty," said De Schutter. "Yet, this is neither realistic nor sustainable, and is often counterproductive."

"The global economy we have built is funnelling vast wealth into the hands of a tiny elite, weakening democratic institutions, and trapping millions in poorly paid work," De Schutter said. "It relies on the plundering of natural resources and cheap labour in the Global South, and has caused irreparable damage to the planet."

"In the name of competitiveness and growth, governments have also weakened labour protections, deregulated markets, and cut public services - deepening insecurity and inequality," the Special Rapporteur said.

The "Roadmap for Eradicating Poverty Beyond Growth" - the result of an unprecedented collaborative process spanning over 18 months - draws on contributions from more than 400 experts across the UN system, academia, governments, civil society and trade unions, and identifies a range of measures that can contribute to the fight against poverty without leading to further environmental collapse.

It emphasizes the need for a reformed international economic order to enable efforts at the domestic level.

The Roadmap further identifies tools for the governance of the transition, recognizing the need for democratic planning of a post-growth transition, the role of indicators on equitable, inclusive and sustainable well-being to guide policy action, and the need to encourage participatory and deliberative democracy to strengthen legitimacy and the effectiveness of the transition, as well as to build countervailing power.

Its recommendations are structured around five pillars - economic systems transformation; labour market policies and the care economy; universal social protection and essential services; climate, environment and resource management; and trade, finance, debt and global solidarity - underpinned by a transversal focus on governance and participatory democracy.

"There is a growing consensus on the need for credible alternatives to our growth-at-all-costs economic model," De Schutter said.

He added: "When I began my mandate six years ago, the "beyond growth" agenda was at the margins. Today, as our economic structures hurtle us towards climate catastrophe and extreme levels of inequality, it is increasingly shaping the debate."

The UN expert outlined the policies in the Roadmap which aim at strengthening universal public services and care systems, guaranteeing access to decent work through a public employment guarantee, introducing income security mechanisms such as a universal basic income, and reducing working time while ensuring fair and living wages.

The expert highlighted the requirements needed to finance these transformations, from wealth and inheritance taxes, to cancelling the unsustainable sovereign debt burdens that prevent many countries from investing in social protection.

While low- and middle-income countries may still require growth to invest in infrastructure, public services and social protection, he warned that the challenge is to support growth that is less dependent on exploitative global supply chains, enabling development without perpetuating inequality or environmental harm. (For further details on the Roadmap, see SUNS #10430 dated 24 April 2026.) +