After a four-yearly review that prompted calls for the British government to act from less developed nations including Barbados, Vietnam, and Romania, the United Nations Human Rights Council has cautioned the UK that it must combat rising poverty.
In addition to demanding action on housing to prevent homelessness, improved food security for early children, and equal rights for individuals with disabilities, the UN body's member nations sought these things as the financial prospects for millions of people grew worse.
On Monday, the UN organization released 302 suggestions in writing. Some of the demands came from nations that ministers are sure to disregard, such North Korea, Russia, and Belarus, but others came from nations like New Zealand, Switzerland, and Canada calling for reform.
In addition, the percentage of consumers who could not afford to eat a healthy, balanced diet last month increased to 36%, according to new data, which revealed that four million children in households receiving universal credit face significant income reductions if benefits are not increased by inflation in Thursday's budget.
The UK is "failing to satisfy its international legal commitments," according to warnings issued by dozens of organizations in the country, including Oxfam and the healthcare trade union Unison.
In letters to the Ministry of Justice, more than 80 organizations have urged it to heed the UN body's requests and drop plans to replace the Human Rights Act with a bill of rights, which detractors have called the "Rights Removal bill."
Among the signatories are Human Rights Watch and Just Fair, an organization that promotes economic, social, and cultural rights, or what it refers to as "the rights of everyday life."
The UN human rights council's intervention comes in response to a warning issued this month by Olivier de Schutter, the UN's rapporteur on extreme poverty, who warned Rishi Sunak that implementing new austerity measures could violate the UK's international human rights obligations and worsen hunger and malnutrition.
The UN human rights council issued several calls to action this week, with Romania urging the UK government to "implement an emergency poverty strategy that addresses the impact of rising costs on child poverty targets and on access to affordable, accessible, and culturally appropriate social housing." In order to "increase food security, particularly for young children, adolescents, and persons with impairments," Brazil urged the UK.
New Zealand demanded that Sunak's government present "plans and practices to combat prejudice against minorities," while Switzerland expressed concerns about the legitimacy of the proposal to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.
According to a report released on Tuesday by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the Food Standards Agency's survey of consumers found that a third of respondents had eaten products past their use-by dates because they couldn't afford to buy more food, and a quarter had eaten cold food because they couldn't afford to cook.
In addition, the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) predicted that working couples receiving universal credit and having two children would be £752 worse off in 2023–2024 if benefits rose in accordance with earnings (5.4%) rather than inflation (10.2%) in Thursday's crunch budget. It would be £654 worse off for working single parents with two kids.
According to Alison Garnham, CEO of the CPAG, "Children are going hungry because family budgets are at breaking point." The current financial crisis makes another real terms cut indefensible. This issue has existed for a long time.
A request for comment has been sent to the UK government.
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