A/HRC/7/32 page 4 Introduction 1. In its resolution 2/2, the Human Rights Council took note of the draft guiding principles on extreme poverty and human rights: the rights of the poor (Sub-Commission for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights resolution 2006/9, annex) and requested that the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights circulate the draft guiding principles, in order to obtain the views of States, relevant United Nations agencies, intergovernmental organizations, United Nations treaty bodies, special procedures including the independent expert on the question of human rights and extreme poverty, national human rights institutions, non governmental organizations (NGOs), especially those in which people in situations of extreme poverty express their views, and other relevant stakeholders, and to report to the Council at its seventh session. 2. The present report summarizes the various views and comments in response to the above resolution. The report is structured as follows: (i) introduction; (ii) general views on the draft guiding principles; (iii) comments on the content of the draft guiding principles; (iv) ongoing activities in line with the draft guiding principles; and (v) suggested next steps. Contributions summarized in the third section are organized by chapter following the above-mentioned resolution. 3. In order to seek comments from civil society on the draft guiding principles, the United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (UN-NGLS), in collaboration with NGO partners, conducted an online consultation from 20 August through 20 September 2007. The summary of the online consultation is attached as annex 1. In order to seek views of people living in poverty and extreme poverty and of NGOs working with them, the International Movement ATD Fourth World conducted consultations in Bangkok, Cusco (Peru), Dakar, Kielce (Poland), and Lille (France). A summary of the consultations is attached as annex 2. I. GENERAL VIEWS ON THE DRAFT GUIDING PRINCIPLES 4. A number of Governments and NGOs1 expressed support for the draft guiding principles and indicated that the draft guiding principles represent an appropriate framework for shaping measures and activities in order to eradicate extreme poverty across the world. They viewed the draft guiding principles as an important step in the process of incorporating extreme poverty into the international system of human rights, since the draft guiding principles outline legal provisions to sanction offenders against the human rights of poverty-stricken people and their families. 5. The independent expert on human rights and extreme poverty stated that the establishment of specific guidelines is a great step towards bringing the multifaceted problems faced by those suffering from extreme poverty into the mainstream and will help us develop a suitable programme for implementation, once social consensus can be reached. He also 1 Governments of Algeria, Croatia, France, Rwanda and Trinidad and Tobago; Centre Europe-Tiers Monde, Comité Quart Monde Européen, Marangopoulos Foundation for Human Rights, NGO Committee for Social Development; University of Padova.