A/HRC/13/51 41. With regard to the impact of the economic and financial crisis on social security programmes, it was pointed out that while the crisis has constrained the resources available for these programmes, it has also highlighted the need to reform the international financial architecture, by improving regulation and promoting openness and accountability. B. 1. Negative impact of economic and financial crises on efforts to combat poverty Enhancing efforts to combat poverty in the context of the economic and financial crises 42. The Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Petko Draganov, drew attention to rising poverty and its impact on nutrition, education, health and employment, and reiterated that developing countries had been disproportionately affected. The crisis could exacerbate other food, energy and debt crises. The precariousness of food security, especially in Africa, revealed the need for a more integrated approach to agricultural development, including land reform and investment in rural infrastructure. He was of the opinion that the increase in liquidity from the International Monetary Fund should be complemented by an increase in ODA, which was essential to help poorer countries sustain social protection. In conclusion, Mr. Draganov reiterated the call by UNCTAD for a debt moratorium for the poorest countries during the crisis, to help offset the risk of further debt build-up, and emphasized the need to reach an outcome in the Doha round of trade negotiations to avoid neo-protectionism. 43. Member of the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Maria Virginia Bras Gomes, noted that the costs and benefits of globalization were not evenly shared within and between States, and that women and children had been among the most affected. Privatization of public services made access to those services more difficult. The multidimensional character of poverty was well defined by the Committee and the Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development of 1995. Discrimination and poverty could be causes and consequences of each other; poverty alleviation strategies must therefore be based on the principle of non-discrimination. 44. Ms. Bras Gomes urged States to fulfil their core obligations to ensure the realization of minimum standards for each of the human rights enshrined in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. While acknowledging the limited availability of resources as a potential obstacle to the progressive realization of human rights, she emphasized that resource constraints did not detract from the immediacy of the obligation, nor did they justify inaction. 45. Open, participatory and meaningful dialogue was vital to ensure that voices were heard and rights respected. Ms. Bras Gomes concurred with earlier statements about the need for raising awareness about rights among the poor. Drawing attention to the fact that women would be disproportionately affected by the crisis through unemployment, decreased income and increased violence, she stressed that a gender perspective should be taken into account in all policies. 46. The Executive Director of the South Center, Martin Khor, suggested that a new round of special drawing rights be created on the basis of need, rather than normal allocations through quotas to increase developing countries’ access to financing. Solutions to the current and potential debt crises could include the UNCTAD proposal for debt moratorium, a short-term solution that would allow States a lawful delay in the payment of debts or obligations, and an international debt arbitration system as a structural reform. The latter would allow countries to apply for a debt standstill and seek the restructuring of their debt through court oversight of an agreement between creditors and debtors. New financing 10 GE.09-17229