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By Godfrey Olukya 28-9-2012
The United Nations Special Rapporteur Magdalena Sepúlveda will soon visit Namibia to get versed about poverty in the south African country and how it can be fought.
She said her visit to Namibia will take place from 1st to 8th October 2012 and the main objective of her trip is collect first-hand information on the situation of people living in extreme poverty and to understand the initiatives taken by the authorities to improve their situation and fulfil their human rights.
‘I want to get first hand information on poverty in Namibia. That country has one of the most unequal distributions of income and wealth in the world, and therefore poverty and inequality are significant concerns.’ she said.
She is to examine the main obstacles impeding access to public services including health and education services and justice mechanisms for people living in poverty and why they are socially excluded.
Charged by the UN Human Rights Council to evaluate human rights and
extreme poverty, she is also supposed to report on initiatives to promote and protect the rights of those living in extreme poverty.
Apart from meeting government officials, she will also visit rural communities living in poverty and also in the capital Windhoek.
An NGO official in Windhoek, Sarah Kate said,’ We are happy to learn that she is coming for field work. She will meet some of us and also hold meetings with senior government officials, including representatives from various ministries working on social policy. ‘
Her findings and recommendations will be presented in a report to the UN Human Rights Council in June 2013.
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