HelpAge International recently published the second report of the United Nations Independent Expert on the question of human rights and extreme poverty. The full report: Social Pensions Are Critical to Human Rights

Summary

The UN’s Independent Expert on human rights and extreme poverty, Magdalena
Sepúlveda, has made social pensions the focus of her second report to the Human Rights
Council. In it, she concludes that rapid population ageing, particularly in developing
countries, requires an urgent assessment of existing policies to protect older people.
Informal family support for older people is declining under the pressure of increased
longevity, widespread poverty, and the impact of HIV and AIDS and migration. States
have traditionally focused on establishing contributory pension systems to protect people
in old age. But this approach has left up to 80 per cent of working-age and older people
around the world unprotected by any form of pension.

The Independent Expert’s report recommends that States should recognise the following:

• Social (non-contributory) pensions are critical to reducing extreme poverty and achieving the right to social security for older people.
• The benefits of social pensions reach beyond the individual recipient into the family, helping children and grandchildren.
• Social pensions should form part of comprehensive social protection strategies totackle extreme poverty throughout the life cycle.
• Universal pension schemes are more in line with human rights obligations as theycomply with principles of universality and non-discrimination. They also reduceopportunities for corruption and manipulation in the selection of beneficiaries,which typically exclude the poorest.