CHRGJ Faculty Director & Co-Chair and UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights Philip Alston will present three reports to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Thursday, June 21, 2018. His presentation, which will occur between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. GMT+2, can be watched live here. (Update: The Special Rapporteur’s presentation has been rescheduled for 12:00 p.m. GMT+2 / 6:00 a.m. on Friday, June 22).

The Special Rapporteur will present two country reports on his recent missions to the United States and Ghana as well as a thematic report on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and social protection to the Council.

Read the related press releases for an overview of the reports:

• June 4, 2018 — “Contempt for the poor in US drives cruel policies,” says UN expert
• June 19, 2018 — IMF has large brain and tiny conscience, says UN poverty expert calling for urgent change
• June 20, 2018 — Ghana’s main economic initiatives will do little to reduce poverty, warns UN expert

In addition to the formal presentation to the Human Rights Council, three side events have been organized to allow for continued discussion and debate on the US and IMF reports. See below for details.

Poverty in the United States and the Exacerbation of Inequality in the Age of Trump
Thursday, June 21, 2018
5:00-6:00 p.m. GMT+2 / 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. EDT
Room XXV
Palais des Nations
Gevena, Switzerland

The American Civil Liberties Union and the US Human Rights Network are sponsoring a side event in Geneva that will discuss the criminalization of poverty; the ways in which persistent racial, ethnic and gender discrimination contribute to poverty; the lack of basic social protections for the poorest Americans, including American Indians living on reservations and Puerto Ricans; and environmental pollution in poor rural communities.

Panelists:

• Philip Alston, UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights
• Natasha Lycia Ora Bannan, Associate Counsel, LatinoJustice PRLDF
• Catherine Flowers, Rural Development Manager, Equal Justice Initiative; Founder and Executive Director, Alabama Center for Rural Enterprise
• Jandi Craig, White Mountain Apache, Continental Network of Indigenous Women of the Americas
• Rosa Martha Zarate, Alianza de ex Braceros del Norte (1942-1964)
• Chrisfino Kenyatta Leal, Business Development Strategist, The Last Mile

Moderator: Jennifer Turner, Principal Human Rights Researcher, ACLU Human Rights Program

Social Protection and Austerity: The Role for the IMF and Human Rights
Friday, June 22, 2018
1:00-2:30 p.m. GMT+2 / 7:00-8:30 a.m. EDT
Room XXIV
Palais des Nations
Gevena, Switzerland

The Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, and CESR, ATD Fourth World and the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights will present a panel on “Social Protection and Austerity: The Role for the IMF and Human Rights” at the 38th session of the Human Rights Council (June 18th-July 6th, 2018) in Geneva. This panel will address those critical questions about austerity and social protection, as well as the role of the IMF, UN actors, human rights mechanisms and civil society in promoting the right to social protection.  Panelists:

• Miriam Brett, International Development Finance Project Manager, Bretton Woods Project
• Jeffrey Franks, Director, IMF Europe Office
• Alexander Kentikelenis, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford
• Nicholas Lusiani, Director, Human Rights in Economic Policy Program, Center for Economic and Social Rights
• Isabel Ortiz, Director of Social Protection, International Labour Organization

Moderator: Philip Alston, UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights

Poverty and Inequality in America under Trump: Human Rights under Threat
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
3:00-4:30 p.m. GMT+2 / 9:00-10:30 a.m. EDT
Auditorium Ivan Pictet
Maison de la paix
Geneva, Switzerland

The Special Rapporteur, in partnership with the Graduate Institute Geneva and the Guardian, will host a panel discussion about his report in Geneva with leaders in the field of human rights and anti-poverty work in the United States.

Panelists:

• Philip Alston, UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights
• Catherine Flowers, Rural Development Manager, the Equal Justice Initiative and Director and Founder, Alabama Center for Rural Enterprise
• Ken Roth, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch
• Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, Co-Chair, Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival and Co-Director, Kairos Centre for Religions, Rights and Social Justice

Moderator: Ed Pilkington, Chief Report, the Guardian US

This event will be livestreamed on the websites of the Graduate Institute and the Guardian.