UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights

Philip Alston served as UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights from June 2014 to April 2020. The Special Rapporteur is an independent expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor, advise, and report on how government policies are realizing the rights of people in poverty around the world.

During his mandate, Professor Alston carried out 11 official country visits and authored 12 thematic reports to the UN General Assembly and Human Rights Council. His thematic and country reports are available below. He also issued a large body of press releases and communications to states and other actors.

Spain - January 2020

End of Mission Statement
Malaysia – August 2019

End of Mission Statement
Lao People's Democratic Republic – March 2019

End of Mission Statement

Country Report
United Kingdom - November 2018

End of Mission Statement

Country Report
Ghana - April 2018

End of Mission Statement

Country Report
United States - December 2017

End of Mission Statement

Country Report
Saudia Arabia - January 2017

End of Mission Statement

Country Report
China - August 2016

End of Mission Statement

Country Report
Mauritania - May 2016

End of Mission Statement

Country Report
Romania - November 2015

End of Mission Statement

Country Report
Chile - March 2015

End of Mission Statement

Country Report

Thematic Areas

Since he was appointed in June 2014, Professor Alston has stressed the importance of relying on a human rights based approach when confronting extreme poverty. The Special Rapporteur has focused on the following thematic areas:

Identifying inequality as one of the central challenges for the human rights system.
Reconceptualizing the relationship between poverty and human rights.
Treating economic and social rights as genuine human rights through the ‘Recognition, Institutionalization, Accountability’ (“RIA”) framework.
Linking social rights advocacy to major international initiatives in the social justice and development spheres, such as the Social Protection Floor Initiative and Universal Basic Income.
Integrating the human rights and development agendas through reports on the World Bank and Human Rights and the institutional responsibility of the UN for the cholera crisis in Haiti.

Philip Alston on his objective as UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights

Appointed to the post in May 2014 and renewed in June 2017, Professor Alston previously served as a UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions.

Learn more

For a more complete archive of news and documents relating to Professor Alston’s period as mandate holder, visit the Center’s searchable Document Center and News Archive.