A United Nations expert is visiting Spain these days to see what the government that oversees Europe's fifth economy is doing to tackle inequality, unemployment and social exclusion. Philip Alston, the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, will begin a fact-finding mission in Madrid, before traveling to Galicia, the Basque Country, Extremadura, Andalusia and Catalonia.

So, it is not about a country in the path of growth, in Africa, Asia or Latin America. The UN expert will examine how the social protection system in Spain works for those who live in poverty and examine areas such as housing, education and health care. According to statistical indicators, Spain suffers from major problems in terms of its disadvantaged population.

The National Institute of Statistics of Spain says that 26.1% of the population is at risk of poverty or social marginalization, recording a rise from 24.7% in 2008, when the financial crisis hit the country. Almost half of the population faces some difficulties in meeting their needs, and poverty continues to increase among children, migrants and the Roma population.

In addition, the new government pledged to bring about a shift in equality and social justice. The visit of the UN expert came, apparently at an appropriate time, as the new officials promised to commit to improving things in several areas. Alston intends to examine what successive Spanish governments have done to address poverty and inequality in the wake of the financial crisis.

It is believed that most governments focus primarily on trying to get the economy to move again after a shock like the recession that hit Spain in particular, but it may be a good time now to pay more attention to the issues of wealth distribution and provision of services, because although the macro economy works Certainly well, it is not clear that many Spaniards have seen the real benefits of an economic recovery.

Alston's visit to Spain will be his last visit as Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, a position he has held since June 2014. The human rights lawyer’s findings in New York have elicited sometimes angry reactions, and after his visit to the United Kingdom in November 2018 he said that government policies have led To "more systematic poverty for a large portion of the British population." When the government rejected his findings as "hard to believe", Alston said that London's total denial of a set of indisputable facts was a bit of a joke.

In June 2018, the expert accused the administration of US President Donald Trump of fostering inequality in the United States, and noted that the benefits of economic growth were going "in great favor to the wealthy." Nikki Haley, US ambassador to the United Nations at the time, complained that it was "absurd for the United Nations to study poverty in America", noting that Alston should have focused instead on countries like Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Poor Andalusia

About 40% of children in Andalusia province live in poverty, one of the highest in Spain. Although Seville is a tourist destination, but it is one of the poorest cities in the country. The non-governmental organization Save the Children has contributed to recreational and educational activities in an attempt to redress the imbalances in the social system. The organization says that many families lost their income with losing jobs, or because they are working in very poor conditions, and have lost government support, too. What worries officials in southern Spain is that this situation will become chronic.

- According to statistical indicators, Spain suffers from major problems in terms of its disadvantaged population.

26.1%

Spanish residents are at risk of poverty or social marginalization.