A/HRC/13/38 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 18 February 2010 Original: English Human Rights Council Thirteenth session Agenda item 3 Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the impact of the global economic and financial crises on the realization of all human rights and on possible actions to alleviate it* Summary The present report is a response to Human Rights Council resolution 12/28 entitled “Follow-up to the tenth special session of the Human Rights Council on the impact of the global economic and financial crises on the universal realization and effective enjoyment of human rights”, in which the Council requested the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to “consult Member States of the United Nations and all other relevant stakeholders on the issue with a view to presenting to the Council at its thirteenth session a report on the impact of the crises on the realization of all human rights and on possible actions required to alleviate it”. Accordingly, the report draws from contributions received from Member States and other relevant stakeholders in response to the above resolution, as well as from outcomes of major events, including the United Nations Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact on Development held in New York in June 2009. The report highlights potential human rights issues raised in these deliberations, reports and contributions. They indicate that, while it is still too early to assess the full impact of the crisis — as some of its longer-term effects continue to affect different countries and regions in varying degrees — it is clear that the global crisis has the potential to reverse or slow down the progress made so far towards achieving the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals. The report also notes that, while recent economic forecasts suggest that the crisis may be tapering off, it will take some time before its longer-term impact on individuals and their human rights is fully known. A number of potential impacts were raised in various deliberations, reports and conferences, such as an increase in global poverty or unemployment; a possible decrease in * Late submission. GE.10-10930 (E) 240210