Human Rights as a Source of Inspiration and an Instrument for the Eradication of Extreme Poverty

The article addresses the function human rights instruments can have in the context of the fight against (extreme) poverty. Human rights law is no panacea for the intractable problem of poverty, but it can serve as a basis for, and complement to, social mobilization. The article deals with participatory rights and poverty reduction, and relevant environmental and development issues, and discusses the role several actors - such as States, NGO's, and companies - c/should play in order to overcome these problems. The article pays special attention to the situation of indigenous peoples