UN Human Rights Commissioner praises Kerala's achievement in eradicating extreme poverty

A video has been released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), celebrating the achievement of Kerala state in eradicating extreme poverty. According to a report by The Hindu, this short animated video, prepared by the OHCHR office, was formally released on Tuesday at the United Nations Headquarters in New York and has been made available on their YouTube channel. This video has been created as part of the celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the UN Declaration on the 'Right to Development' adopted on December 4, 1986.

Kerala was declared free of extreme poverty during a special session of the Legislative Assembly on the occasion of 'Kerala Piravi' on November 1, 2025. This achievement is the result of a long five-year process carried out during the tenure of the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government.

OHCHR noted that Kerala's experience demonstrates the value of dialogue. When people are kept at the centre of development responses, it ensures equality, participation, and dignity. To solve poverty, it is necessary to understand how it affects people's lives. Through its unprecedented 'People's Plan' campaign and extreme poverty eradication programme, Kerala chose to listen to people's views, ensuring that development was shaped not just for the people, but together with the people.

This video provides a detailed description of the process behind the entire programme. Poverty was defined by Kerala not merely as a lack of income, but as a complex confluence of a lack of capabilities and freedoms, adopting a multidimensional approach. In this process, local self-government institutions, civil society, and women's organisations worked together to identify people living in extreme poverty.

According to the video, approximately 10 lakh citizens identified vulnerable families living in their neighbourhoods. Indicators such as homelessness, prolonged illness, and lack of documentation were used for this identification. Subsequently, the list of beneficiaries was reviewed and approved through a transparent and locally managed process.

Furthermore, assistance was provided to more than 64,000 families through individual micro-plans tailored to their specific needs. Government departments coordinated existing resources to meet immediate needs of food security and healthcare. Subsequently, long-term pathways to exit poverty through sustainable livelihoods and secure housing were prepared within five years.