A/HRC/11/9 page 6 (e.g. in India), a disability grant (e.g. in Jamaica), a child support grant (e.g. in South Africa), a widows’ allowance (e.g. in Bangladesh), or household transfers to those living in extreme poverty (e.g. in China). In a number of countries, more than one CTP exists (e.g. in South Africa, where transfers are provided together in the form of non-contributory old-age pensions, child grants and disability grants). 12. Some States have chosen to implement a specific type of CTP, known as Conditional Cash Transfer programmes (CCTPs). Under such programmes, the receipt of cash is tied to the beneficiaries’ commitment to fulfil one or more conditions (e.g. enrolling their children in school or regularly taking their children for health check-ups). The World Bank describes such conditions as “pre-specified investments in child education and health” and as contributing to “the human capital of their children”.3 The term “conditionality” is gradually being replaced with “co-responsibility”. This change in terminology reflects the increasing emphasis that is being placed on the responsibility of the State to provide public services such as health and education. Regardless of whether the terms conditionality or co-responsibility are used, the mechanism is in essence the same. 13. CTPs, conditional and unconditional, are often presented as flagship programmes for reducing poverty. They have been identified as effective tools for poverty eradication due to their capacity to reduce economic inequalities and break the intergenerational transmission of poverty, yet they have seldom been discussed or analysed from a human rights perspective. 14. The independent expert welcomes the efforts made by States implementing CTPs. In many cases CTPs represent one part of more extensive innovative national strategies to address extreme poverty. She also welcomes the fact that a great number of CTPs have developed as a result of South-South collaboration. 15. Poverty is not only an economic issue. It is a human rights concern and all policies and programmes that aim to reduce or eliminate poverty must integrate a human rights perspective. All policies and programmes must be designed in a manner that protects human rights and implementation must be carried out in a manner that ensures the protection of rights in practice. CTPs are a tool that can assist States in fulfilling their obligations under national, regional and international human rights law. In particular, they have the potential to assist in the realization of the right to an adequate standard of living including adequate food, clothing and housing and the right to social security. Moreover, they can facilitate the realization of many other rights, such as the right to education and the right to the highest attainable standard of health as well as the right to take part in the conduct of public affairs. CTPs may also contribute to enhanced protection of other civil and political rights. Nonetheless, weaknesses and deficiencies in their implementation and design can result, in practice, in inconsistencies with human rights obligations. 16. With this report, the independent expert hopes to contribute to, and foster, dialogue between the human rights community and policymakers, development practitioners, economists and social researchers involved in the design, implementation and evaluation of CTPs. 3 Ariel Fiszbein, Norber Schady, Conditional Cash Transfers, reduce present and future poverty (overview), World Bank Policy Research Report, 2009.