The UN Independent Expert on human rights and extreme poverty, Magdalena Sepúlveda, will visit Ireland from 10 to 15 January 2011 to study the Government’s efforts and challenges in alleviating poverty both domestically and internationally.

During her visit, the first by a UN independent human rights expert since 1999, Ms. Sepúlveda will collect first hand information about the living conditions of people experiencing poverty in Ireland and will examine how the Government is addressing their situation, in particular through the provision of social protection.

LWL met with Ms. Sepúlveda's team, Lidia Rabinovich and Allegra Franchetti, on January 14th to see first hand the work that is being carried out by the organisation in advancing the rights of women in the county.

Ms. Sepúlveda's findings and recomendations findings and recommendations to the Government of Ireland and other stakeholders will be included in a report presented to the UN Human Rights Council in June 2011.

Magdalena Sepúlveda is the Independent Expert on the question of human rights and extreme poverty since May 2008. She is a Chilean lawyer currently working as Research Director at the International Council on Human Rights Policy in Geneva. She has extensive experience in economic, social and cultural rights and holds a PhD in international human rights law from Utrecht University.

Preliminary Report available here:

http://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=10658&LangID=E

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