Human rights organizations criticize violations of social rights in Brazil
Geneva, 05/05/2009 - The meeting of the UN Committee for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which began yesterday in Geneva, has Brazil on its agenda. At the opening of the meeting Brazilian partner organizations of the German Church Development Service (EED), Bread for the World, Misereor and FIAN, criticized the violation of these rights in Brazil before the Committee
“Even if there have been some positive developments concerning the improved access to education, to social and health services and to social security service in Brazil during the last couple of years, there has hardly been any progress regarding the extreme social inequality,” Paulo Cesar Carbonari from the National Movement for Human Rights in Brazil says. Brazil remains one of the countries with the greatest inequalities, with 10% of the population owning 75.4% of the country’s resources, and this tendency is growing.
The organizations consider the model for development of the Brazilian government as the main reason for this problem. The model emphasizes agrarian export and huge infrastructure projects. These projects often lead to severe violations of economic, social and cultural human rights affecting the poor and indigenous populations.
“Further reasons for the violation of the economic, social and cultural rights in Brazil is the restrictive finance policy, and deficiencies in legislation, such as the overdue agrarian reform,” says Daniel Rech from the network of Misereor partners. Social movements and NGO’s have been increasingly criticized, which hinders the participation and social control of national policies.
A top quality government delegation, led by the Minister for Human Rights issues, represents the Brazilian State in Geneva. Representatives from civil society are presenting a critical report that has been facilitated by 50 national and 550 regional and local organizations since 2005. This document introduces an important basis for the Committee concerning the formulation of questions to the Brazilian government. These questions are awaiting comment at the meeting.