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	The international financial system is failing to address the catastrophic debt crisis by Olivier De Schutter UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights   The international financial system is failing to address the catastrophic debt crisis that is engulfing developing countries and causing misery for hundreds of millions of people, the UN’s poverty expert said today.   “The debt crisis is not just a fiscal issue; it is a full-blown human rights crisis,” said the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Olivier De Schutter, on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.   “In the poorest countries of the world people are struggling to eat, access health services or send their children to school, while their governments shell out billions of dollars to pay back loans to wealthy creditors.   “Making a bad situation worse, countries with the highest levels of debt also tend to be those most vulnerable to climate change, but are being forced to prioritise debt repayments over addressing the severe consequences of the climate crisis.”   The expert warned that rocketing interest rates since the Covid-19 pandemic were sinking countries in the Global South further into debt.   In 2023, a record 54 developing countries allocated 10% or more of government revenue to paying off the interest on their debt, leaving “little room for countries to spend on poverty-busting public services such as education or social protection”. 3.3 billion people live in countries that spend more on interest payments than on either education or health. Interest rates demanded from developing countries are also much higher than those paid by rich countries. African countries borrow money at almost four times the rate paid by the United States, despite the astronomical level of US debt.   “This perverse scenario has been playing out in the Global South for years, accelerating the freefall into poverty seen since the pandemic,” De Schutter said.   “Creditors have responded too little, too late. The G20’s ‘Common Framework’, agreed in 2020 to bring international financing institutions (IFIs), individual states and private lenders together to speed up debt restructuring, is simply not working.”   De Schutter called for immediate debt relief for countries in crisis and urgent reform of the international financial system to align with human rights.   “Banks and hedge funds have become huge players in the world of sovereign debt and should not be exempt from their human rights responsibilities. It is abhorrent that debt repayments to the world’s richest corporations are being paid at the expense of children’s education or healthcare. Governments must introduce legislation to compel private creditors under their jurisdiction to participate in debt relief for low income countries.   “Comprehensive reform of the international financial architecture, as advocated by the recently agreed Pact of the Future, is also needed. The current system within the IFIs, characterised by unequal representation between high and low-income countries, unfavourable lending conditions, and unfair debt restructuring is trapping too many countries in a cycle of poverty.”   The Special Rapporteur lamented the conditions attached to bailout packages from IFIs which, with their demands for austerity measures, sale of state assets and, at times, surcharges already denounced by UN human rights experts, make it near impossible for states to comply with their human rights obligations and lock countries into unsustainable growth patterns that have only worsened poverty and inequality.   “With Pakistan recently agreeing to its 24th bailout from the International Monetary Fund, which hinged on the country accepting what the Prime Minister called ‘conditions beyond imagination’, it is clear that people in poverty will continue to pay the high price of a debt crisis that is not of their making,” the expert said.   “The solution to the debt crisis is neither to stimulate economic growth at all costs, nor to impose austerity policies. It is to cancel or restructure debt, and to focus on public investment, particularly in social protection, that will restore the prospect of long-term prosperity.”   http://www.srpoverty.org/2024/10/17/statement-international-financial-system-not-fit-for-purpose-to-address-catastrophic-debt-crisis-un-poverty-expert/ http://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-poverty http://ipdcolumbia.org/publication/jubilee-debt-development-blueprint/ http://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/news/overlooking-nature-is-no-longer-an-option-for-fiscal-policy-and-debt-sustainability-analyses/ http://reliefweb.int/report/world/human-cost-public-sector-cuts-africa-april-2025 http://actionaid.org/publications/2025/human-cost-public-cuts-africa http://www.ipsnews.net/2025/01/developing-countries-choked-debt-year-breaking-free/ http://debtjustice.org.uk/press-release/lower-income-country-debt-payments-hit-highest-level-in-30-years http://debtjustice.org.uk/news http://cafod.org.uk/campaign/the-new-debt-crisis http://tinyurl.com/y45jmkdd http://unctad.org/publication/world-of-debt http://www.eurodad.org/debt_justice http://www.eurodad.org/key_publications_2024 Visit the related web page
	Ongoing shortfalls and disparities leave over 1 billion people with disabilities behind by International Disability Alliance, ICJ, agencies   Rehabilitation for All: A global health imperative that can no longer wait - Humanity & Inclusion, agencies   One in three people around the world — a staggering 2.6 billion individuals — need rehabilitation services to improve or maintain their mobility, independence, quality of life, and wellbeing in their daily lives. Whether due to injury, disability, aging, or chronic diseases, rehabilitation is essential for health.   Yet, for millions, especially those in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), these services remain out of reach, says the newly released HI report.   The demand for rehabilitation is rising sharply due to population aging, increased survival from injuries, and the growing burden of non-communicable diseases like cancer, heart disease, and dementia that are pushing healthcare systems beyond capacity.   By 2030, the world will count 1.4 billion people over the age of 60 — with two-thirds living in low- and middle-income countries by 2050.   Despite longer lifespans, healthy life expectancy is not improving, particularly for women, meaning more people are living longer with disabilities and chronic conditions that require rehabilitation.   The situation is dire in poorer countries. More than 50% of those in need of rehabilitation do not receive it. In some countries, only 3% of persons needing assistive technology have access to it. Many countries have fewer than 10 rehabilitation professionals per million people.   Rehabilitation should be approached as an investment. It reduces long-term healthcare costs while improving quality of life. However, rehabilitation has been historically deprioritised in public health funding, in health systems that are overall underfunded.   In Benin, for example, public health spending accounts for just 2.6% of total health expenditure. In Haiti, it’s 4.1%. This is well below the World Health Organization’s recommended 15%.   Worse, rehabilitation services are often not covered by funding schemes and insurances, leaving families to pay themselves. For low-income households, these expenses can be catastrophic, reaching up to 40% of their annual income.   Between 2024 and 2029, major donors have announced $17.2 billion in cuts to global health funding. In early 2025, the United States — once a significant contributor to foreign aid — halted its assistance altogether. In many countries, the provision of rehabilitation services largely depends on external aid, like in Haiti, where NGOs run up to 30% of rehabilitation centers.   The decline in international funding, combined with the persistently low level of public investment, is having and will continue to have an alarming impact on those in need of rehabilitation.   # Rehabilitation is an essential health service that forms part of the continuum of prevention, promotion, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care. Rehabilitation is not only for persons with disabilities; it is a necessary health service for anyone experiencing limitations in daily functioning due to a broad range of health conditions, such as injuries or trauma resulting from accidents, congenital disorders from a very young age, non communicable diseases (NCDs), pregnancy and delivery complications, as well as chronic diseases or other health conditions associated with ageing.   Rehabilitation often goes hand-in-hand with assistive technology (AT), which includes products, systems and services designed to “help maintain or improve an individual’s functioning related to cognition, communication, hearing, mobility, self-care and vision.”   These range from no-tech to high-tech solutions, including physical devices (such as wheelchairs, glasses, prosthetic limbs, canes, and hearing aids) and digital tools (such as speech recognition, screen readers, or closed captioning).   The Humanity & Inclusion report: Rehabilitation For All shows how access to rehabilitation changes lives.   http://www.hi.org/sn_uploads/document/HI-Rehabilititation-for-all-ENG-2025-2-FINAL.pdf http://www.hi-us.org/en/news/rehabilitation-for-all http://www.hi-us.org/en/news/index http://www.riglobal.org/rehabilitation-for-all-a-global-health-imperative-that-can-no-longer-wait/   Dec. 2024   Women and girls with disabilities are the best champions for upholding their rights. (OHCHR)   UN Experts urged governments to amplify the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future, particularly women and girls with disabilities:   "Despite the fast-approaching deadline for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the promise of full gender equality remains elusive. “For women and girls with disabilities, this goal is even more distant due to compounded discrimination,” the Experts stated.   Women and girls with disabilities are disproportionately affected by poverty, inadequate healthcare including sexual and reproductive health, limited access to inclusive education, employment in the open market, digital devices and technology, increased exposure to abuse and violence, including sexual violence, trafficking in persons, and limited access to justice.   And particularly for those with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities, denial of legal capacity often strips them of the freedom to make critical choices, including over their own bodies.   “Women and girls with disabilities are too often invisible and their needs and concerns are insufficiently considered in public policies on gender equality and on the rights of persons with disabilities,” noted the Experts.   This is aggravated by the widespread lack of disaggregated quantitative and qualitative data based on disability, age, sex, and gender, and their intersection.   The Experts stressed that the voices and experiences of all women and girls with disabilities must be part of public policy and decision-making priorities and commitments.   “They need to be more represented in leadership roles across all sectors – including within movements promoting and advocating for the human rights of women and of persons with disabilities respectively. Women and girls with disabilities need to be fully consulted on all policies that affect their lives and to be included in all discussions and decision-making processes” the Experts urged.   Further, all aspects of the intersection between gender and disabilities need to be considered, for example how the situation of families – and mostly mothers and other female relatives – impacts the human rights of children with disabilities.   The Experts recalled the need to establish gender-responsive, disability-inclusive, and age-sensitive care and support systems.   The upcoming 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration provides a pivotal opportunity for governments to assess progress in advancing the rights of women and girls with disabilities, and all women and girls who are left behind and whose needs are insufficiently addressed. While recent national reports reveal achievements, persistent gaps highlight the need for targeted policies and investment.   http://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-disability http://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/thematic-reports/ahrc5856-thirty-years-implementation-beijing-declaration-and-platform   28 Oct. 2024   The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights issues key recommendations on the rights of persons with disabilities in recent 76th session.   Earlier this month, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights published its Concluding Observations on Albania, Cyprus, Honduras, Iceland, Kyrgyzstan, Malawi, and Poland, adopted during its 76th session (9th to 27th September). The Committee included recommendations on and explicit references to issues of persons with disabilities in all the 13 concluding observations adopted during 2024, reaching a total of 65 recommendations and references.   The International Disability Alliance has produced its compilations of Disability-Related Extracts from the Concluding Observations for the sessions 75th and 76th held in 2024.   In 2024, the 75th and 76th sessions of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights covered a range of important issues related to the rights of persons with disabilities including: Discrimination and social inclusion; Access to inclusive quality education; Employment; Poverty and economic inequality; Social protection; Infrastructure and accessibility.   The 75th session of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in February 2024 reviewed six countries and issued disability-related recommendations for all of them, reaching a total of 31 recommendations. Key issues include:   Indonesia: The Committee raised concerns over the use of shackling on people with psychosocial disabilities and recommended preventing this practice and improve mental health services. The Committee was concerned about the lack of school infrastructure and digital access, with recommendations to enhance education quality and access, especially for children with disabilities.   Iraq: The Committee raised concerns about unemployment, particularly among marginalized groups like people with disabilities. Recommendations included enhancing vocational training and combating poverty, with particular attention to disadvantaged groups including persons with disabilities.   Ireland: The Committee pointed out the lack of disaggregated data on discrimination, calling for better data collection and comprehensive anti-discrimination laws. It emphasized improving employment opportunities and tackling poverty, especially for disadvantaged groups. In particular, it recommended to "take measures to ensure that the minimum wage applies to all workers, all sectors and all forms of employment, including by repealing sections 35 (1), on different rates of remuneration for persons with disabilities, of the Employment Equality Act".   Mauritania: Issues with unemployment, education access, and social security, especially for marginalized groups, were highlighted. Recommendations included improving education quality and infrastructure and to "guarantee access to quality education for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, in particular children with disabilities;"   Romania: Concerns were raised about discrimination against marginalized groups, lack of social housing, and high school dropout rates among Roma and rural children. Recommendations included addressing discrimination education, improving employment conditions for vulnerable groups, and to "increase the availability of adequate and affordable housing, in particular by expanding the supply of social housing, paying particular attention to members of disadvantaged and marginalized groups, such as persons with disabilities...";   Sweden: Concerns about discrimination, particularly in employment and housing, were raised. The Committee recommended stronger anti-discrimination measures, including ensuring that "effective judicial remedies and accessible legal aid, in addition to administrative remedies are available to victims of harassment, hate crimes and discrimination on the grounds of disability...", and seeking improvements in education, especially addressing disparities in access for marginalized students.   The 76th Session of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in September 2024 covered seven countries: Albania, Cyprus, Honduras, Iceland, Kyrgyzstan, Malawi and Poland. All seven countries received disability-related recommendations, with a total of 34 specific references to disabilities.   A common recommendation to Albania, Iceland, Malawi and Poland was to consider ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Other key issues include:   Albania: Issues with accessible infrastructure and inclusive education were identified. Recommendations included improving public infrastructure by fully implementing Law No. 93/2014 on Inclusion and Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities and its related by-laws and other measures, and ensuring inclusive education for children with disabilities by " ensuring the provision of accessible and adapted materials, inclusive curricula, and individualised support and accommodation."   Cyprus: Concerns focus on unemployment among persons with disabilities and the lack of support for families with disabled children. Recommendations suggest targeted employment schemes and inclusive education reforms, as well as to "take all the necessary measures to ensure that children with disabilities can enjoy their right to grow up in a family environment".   Honduras: The focus is on combating discrimination against disadvantaged groups, including persons with disabilities. Recommendations stress the need for ensuring access to effective remedies and reparations to victims of discrimination and violence; and inclusive employment strategies and access to social security.   Iceland: High unemployment among persons with disabilities, violence against them, and poverty are significant issues. Recommendations include promoting employment and combating poverty for vulnerable groups, including by enhancing "efforts to increase the amount of old age pension, unemployment and disability benefits to ensure they provide an adequate standard of living for all recipients."   Kyrgyzstan: Persistent structural discrimination, including against persons with disabilities, is highlighted. The country was urged to adopt comprehensive anti-discrimination laws, improve social security access and increase efforts to reduce unemployment by implementing public sector employment schemes, vocational training programmes, and partnerships with the private sector, ensuring that its policies tackle the root causes of unemployment, paying particular attention to persons with disabilities..".   Malawi: The country lacks a comprehensive anti-discrimination legal framework, leading to stigma and unemployment for disabled people. Recommendations call for better inclusive education, social protection through the Social Cash Transfer Program (SCTP) "providing both basic income security and, when necessary, disability-related costs", and adopting "a comprehensive labour strategy with a precise, time-bound action plan to support women, youth and persons with disabilities in accessing decent employment..".   Poland: Issues with non-discrimination, employment for persons with disabilities and insufficient enforcement of accessibility laws were noted. Recommendations encourage "public education programmes on discriminatory norms and beliefs to combat the stigmatization of persons with disabilities," and targeted employment programs and better legal protections.   http://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/blog/committee-economic-social-and-cultural-rights-issues-key-recommendations-rights-persons http://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/blog/cedaw-committee-releases-89th-session-concluding-observations-nearly-80-recommendations-and http://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/blog/committee-rights-child-issued-recommendations-children-disabilities-its-97th-session http://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/blog/opds-advocate-disability-representation-global-climate-policies http://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/blog/summary-un-disability-and-development-report-2024   http://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/blog/global-disability-summit-2025-accelerating-inclusion-opd-leadership-times-change http://www.globaldisabilitysummit.org http://www.educationcannotwait.org/news-stories/press-releases/galvanizing-support-education-the-global-disability-summit http://minorityrights.org/disability-declaration http://www.globaldisabilitysummit.org/resource/global-disability-inclusion-report/ http://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/blog/who-announces-launch-global-initiative-health-equity-persons-disabilities-during-global http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/newsevents/news/2022/missing-billion-report-proposes-pathway-close-major-health-gap-people http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/research/centres/international-centre-evidence-disability/missing-billion http://www.globaldisabilitysummit.org/   http://www.openglobalrights.org/no-one-left-in-the-heat-for-disabled-people-heat-waves-are-a-human-rights-crisis/ http://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/blog/ida-youth-leader-calls-new-youth-centered-disability-inclusive-development-system-un-hlpf-2025 http://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1j/k1ja23zkv9 http://www.ohchr.org/en/treaty-bodies/crpd http://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-disability/annual-thematic-reports http://social.desa.un.org/cosp/18th-session http://news.un.org/en/audio/2025/06/1164366   http://www.inclusive-education-initiative.org/blog/moving-intention-action-disability-inclusion-education http://minorityrights.org/disability-declaration http://www.driadvocacy.org/news/dri-founder-eric-rosenthal-speaks-un-side-event-disability-trafficking   http://www.icj.org/resource/statement-on-situation-of-persons-with-disabilities-in-africa-by-the-international-commission-of-jurists-and-african-disability-forum-to-the-african-commission-on-human-and-peoples-rights/ http://africandisabilityforum.org/african-disability-forum-at-the-85th-ordinary-session-of-the-african-commission-on-human-and-peoples-rights/ http://www.icj.org/africa-african-commission-on-human-and-peoples-rights-calls-for-the-full-continental-ratification-and-implementation-of-the-african-disability-protocol/ http://www.icj.org/resource/africa-bridging-the-gap-to-realization-of-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/ http://www.icj.org/africa-persons-with-disabilities-push-for-inclusive-and-accessible-justice-systems/   http://www.icj.org/asia-pacific-kathmandu-declaration-launched-calling-for-action-to-ensure-access-to-justice-for-persons-with-disabilities http://www.icj.org/qatar-states-urged-to-ensure-access-to-justice-for-women-and-girls-with-disabilities/ http://www.icj.org/icj-submission-highlights-discrimination-as-key-obstacle-to-women-and-girls-with-disabilities-in-enforcing-their-human-rights/ http://www.icj.org/eu-children-with-disabilities-have-the-right-to-participate-in-legal-proceedings/   http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2025/03/hc-turk-technology-must-support-people-disabilities-not-deepen http://www.developmentpathways.co.uk/publications/good-practice-in-disability-inclusive-social-security-2/ http://social.desa.un.org/publications/un-flagship-report-on-disability-and-development-2024 http://atscalepartnership.org/ http://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240063600 Visit the related web page
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