The report from the Expert Workshop on a Rights-Based Approach to Poverty Reduction: Experiences and Lessons from Asia and Europe held on 9 September 2024 in Bangkok, emphasises the importance of integrating human rights into poverty reduction strategies for both national and international contexts. It highlights that this approach promotes legal accountability, non-discrimination, and the empowerment of rightsholders, while acknowledging that such strategies require comprehensive data and insights from various fields beyond human rights law. The report discusses the challenges in measuring poverty and vulnerability and advocates for inclusive social protection programs and enhanced access to justice to combat the underlying causes of poverty. It calls for the expansion of anti-discrimination laws to encompass socio-economic status, thereby strengthening the synergy between anti-discrimination and redistributive policies. The Workshop’s recommendations focus on the necessity of evidence-based policies that prioritise the needs of the most vulnerable.
The Workshop, which was held as part of the 22nd Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights, featured 38 expert participants from diverse sectors across 20 ASEM member countries.
The Expert Workshop was organised by the co-organisers of the Seminar series, the Raoul Wallenberg Institute, The Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs, The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Switzerland, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, with financial support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark and European Union.
Find out more about the Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights here.