A/HRC/RES/55/6
Affirming that debt burden further aggravates the complex challenges faced by
developing countries, contributes to extreme poverty and is an obstacle to sustainable human
development, and is therefore a serious impediment to the realization of all human rights,
particularly economic, social and cultural rights,
1.
Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Independent Expert on the
effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States on the
full enjoyment of all human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights entitled
“Fiscal legitimacy through human rights: a principled approach to the financial resource
collection and allocation for the realization of human rights”;2
2.
Invites the Independent Expert to give, in accordance with her mandate,
appropriate consideration to the impact of all international financial obligations on groups
living below the poverty line, including women, youth, children, persons with disabilities,
Indigenous Peoples, migrants and persons belonging to national, ethnic, religious and
linguistic minorities suffering from socioeconomic inequalities and discrimination;
3.
Recognizes that developing countries require massive liquidity and financing
support to deal with the immediate fallout resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and its
repercussions for the economy and for all human rights owing to the challenges faced in the
areas of health care, education, employment and social protection systems, as well as to the
heavy debt burden and deteriorating economic buffer;
4.
Recalls that every State has the primary responsibility to promote the
economic, social and cultural development of its people, and to that end has the right and
responsibility to choose its means and goals of development and should not be subject to
external specific prescriptions for economic policy;
5.
Recognizes that debt relief can play a key role in liberating resources that
should be directed towards activities consistent with attaining sustainable growth and
development and the realization of human rights, including poverty reduction and the
achievement of development goals, including those set out in the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development, and therefore that debt relief measures, where appropriate, should
be pursued vigorously and expeditiously, ensuring that they do not replace alternative sources
of financing and that they are accompanied by an increase in official development assistance;
6.
Reiterates its call on States, international financial institutions and private
creditors to participate in and implement the enhanced programme of debt relief without
further delay and for industrialized countries to agree to cancel all the official bilateral debt
of those countries covered by the programme in return for their making demonstrable
commitments to poverty reduction;
7.
Stresses that the economic programmes arising from foreign debt relief and
cancellation must not reproduce past structural adjustment policies that have produced a
negative impact on the realization of human rights, including the right to development, such
as dogmatic demands for privatization and reduced public services;
8.
Urges States, international financial institutions and the private sector to take
urgent measures to alleviate the debt problem and to address the debt sustainability of
developing countries, so that more financial resources may be released and used for health,
education, sanitation, public services, social protection and the realization of other economic
and social rights in the countries affected;
9.
Reiterates its view that, in order to find a durable solution to the debt problem
and for the consideration of any new debt resolution mechanism, there is a need for a broad
political dialogue between creditor and debtor countries and multilateral financial
institutions, within the United Nations system, based on the principle of shared interests and
responsibilities;
10.
Requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to pay
more attention to the problem of the debt burden of developing countries, in particular of
least developed countries, and especially the social and human rights-related impact of the
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A/HRC/55/54.
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