Olivier de Schutter, 57, thinks it possible for the over 800 million people who, according to the United Nations, live on less than $2.15 a day to improve their living conditions. According to the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, it would require the political will to tax billionaires and apply other measures, such as levies on aviation, maritime transportation and financial transactions. “The money is there,” the Belgian lawyer and poverty expert told EL PAÍS during an interview that took place in late September in Madrid, where he participated in the Beyond Growth conference.
Question. In a world with more than 800 million people living in extreme poverty, what is your priority when it comes to addressing poverty and hunger?
Answer. The priority is clearly to allow low-income countries to finance social protection, because they simply do not have enough fiscal leeway to provide their population with economic security against unemployment, disability, sickness, pension payments and so on. It would cost about $308 billion per year to allow the 26 poorest countries on Earth to provide their population with social protection, about twice the level of official development assistance in the year 2019. It is not affordable for low-income countries alone, but it is affordable for the international community. All that is needed is the political will, and it is the best investment we can make.