Poverty and human rights in Africa: historical dynamics and the case for economic social and cultural rights

Abstract

Although the relationship between poverty and human rights is only recently beginning to be examined it has always been dynamically intertwined. Poverty is a relative concept but its intrusion into human dignity is unmistakable. This article argues that human rights are strong tools for fighting poverty. Traditionally in Africa, poverty and wealth were communal and communality defined their existence. At the same time poverty in Africa is interrelated with diverse factors, such as racism, the impact if colonialism, and in the current era of globalisation, the operation of multi-national companies. Poverty is also highly related to governance and typically the African big-men syndrome and so-called ‘irrational belief’ structures. Although the UN Covenant on economic, social and cultural rights may not be a panacea for progress, if combined with other sets of human rights, it is a suitable weapon to combat poverty.