Das Event findet online auf Zoom in englischer Sprache statt und wird moderiert von Malina Stutz, erlassjahr.de

Invitation

838 million people worldwide live in extreme poverty, meaning they have less than three US dollars per day to cover basic needs. Extreme poverty constitutes one of the gravest violations of human rights. Expanding inclusive, shock-responsive social protection systems is essential. However, four billion people in low- and middle-income countries remain either entirely without or inadequately covered by social protection systems.

Yet, building such systems is highly cost-intensive. Most low- and middle-income countries are heavily indebted or face unsustainable debt burdens, leaving them with little to no fiscal space to expand social protection schemes. Sovereign debt and austerity policies to consolidate state finances severely constrain their ability to invest in essential public services such as social protection, healthcare, and education.

This event explores the interconnections between sovereign debt, extreme poverty, and human rights. Our discussion will link the outcomes of Second World Summit for Social Development to those of the outcomes of the Fourth Financing for Development Conference (FfD4) as outlined in the Sevilla Commitment. The focus will be on how the international debt architecture has to be reformed in order to lower debt burdens and increase fiscal space of low- and middle-income countries to provide social protection for the most vulnerable and marginalized people.

Programme and Speakers

2:00 pm: Welcome Address

Åsa Månsson, Managing Director, Association of German Development and Humanitarian Aid NGOs (VENRO)

02:05 pm: Keynotes: Connecting the Dots – Extreme Poverty, International Debt Architecture and Human Rights

Prof. Dr. Oliver De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights

Patricia Miranda, Global Advocacy Director of Latindadd

02:30 pm: Moderated Discussion: How to move forward to overcome the debt crisis and extreme poverty?

Prof. Dr. Oliver De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights

Patricia Miranda, Global Advocacy Director of Latindadd

Dr. Nigussu Legesse, Executive Director of Christian Consortium of Relief and Development Association (CCRDA)

Dr. Katja Hujo, Head of Bonn Office and Senior Research Coordinator in the Transformative Social Policy Programme of the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development

03:30 pm: End of Event

Moderation: Malina Stutz, Advocacy Advisor, erlassjahr.de

Registration

Virtual Event via ZOOM. Link will be provided with registration.

Please register here until 2 November 2025.

Contact

Dr Sonja Grigat, s.grigat@venro.org, +49 176 43635086