A/HRC/4/10 page 9 Consequently, the impact of debt relief on human rights related expenditure depends not only on the amount of debt service savings but also on the existence of government policies orienting expenditure towards human rights objectives. The implementation of such policies must be seen as part of the obligation of all States parties to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) to take steps, to the maximum of their available resources, to progressively achieve the full realization of all economic, social and cultural rights. Furthermore, good governance, accountability and transparency have to be considered crucial to realize the benefits created by debt relief. 20. However, with cost estimates for MDGs achievement - let alone the achievement of all economic, social and cultural rights - ranging from an extra $30 billion per year to over $100 billion per annum8 the impact of recent debt relief operations on the achievement of all human rights should not be overestimated, even with adequate policy in place in beneficiary countries. 21. In many HIPC, the increases in social spending exceed the amounts accruing from debt relief, often largely due to new government priorities in the framework of a national poverty reduction strategy and/or increased donor engagement in the social sector projects. Empirical data collected by the World Bank and IMF in the context of HIPC initiative implementation operations actually show that the developing countries’ poverty reduction expenditures have increased following the debt cancellation. In those HIPCs that have reached completion point, social spending in the areas of health and education, which is usually closely linked to basic human rights obligations, has increased by 20 to 50 per cent.9 Weighted against such increased government spending in the framework of PRSPs and substantial donor engagement in social sectors the debt relief savings are likely to be too small to have a measurable impact on MDGs achievement or human rights improvement. E. Need for further debt relief 22. It should always be recalled that poor developing countries continue to face important debt burden. In total, low-income country debt is currently estimated at over US$ 400 billion, about four to five times the amount cancelled by HIPC and MDRI. There, therefore, is a need for further comprehensive solutions to the debt problems of poor countries, including further debt relief by other multilateral institutions and for permanent solutions to the problems of bilateral and commercial debts. Future international cooperation operations could take various forms and should consider innovative techniques such as different forms of debt swaps. As already outlined in earlier reports, additionality of resources is crucial in the context of all debt relief operations. In order to obtain a positive impact, debt relief operations ought to be in addition to existing aid and must not be offset by a reduction in traditional bilateral or multilateral aid programmes. Unhappily, based on Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) statistics, there are real doubts that this important principle has always been respected in the past.10 23. In the light of the foregoing considerations, within future debt relief initiatives, a special status should be given to the debt owed by developing countries that are deemed illegitimate