The question of whether poverty is a human rights issue is controversial. On the one hand, in development economics theory, poverty is defined as deprivation or lack of income and must be resolved through economic growth. On the other hand, from the perspective of international human rights law, poverty is first and foremost a denial of fundamental rights and as such is a human rights crisis. However, ultimately and based on both my experience as a citizen of one of the poorest countries in the world (the Democratic Republic of Congo) and my background in development economics, I believe that poverty is first and foremost a human rights phenomenon , not cheap. To support my position, I will first clarify the basic concepts of this essay, especially poverty and human rights. Second, I will rely on international human rights instruments to show how poverty fits into the human rights framework. Finally, I outline the different ways in which a better understanding of poverty as a human rights phenomenon would aid poverty reduction efforts. To begin with, poverty is generally defined as the lack of adequate income to meet basic needs, especially food. , but also housing, access to education, health facilities and clean water. According to the World Bank, the minimum income needed to satisfy the most urgent needs (food) is 1.25 dollars a day, which corresponds to the international poverty line. Persons or families living below this poverty line are consequently poor. Based on this line, the World Bank estimates that more than one billion people worldwide are poor. Is this income-based treatment of poverty convincing? This is not the case because poverty is a multidimensional phenomenon. The list of basic needs listed in the definition above... in the middle of the paper... is a gift from the government, but rather as fundamental human rights that must be fully enjoyed. In conclusion, I have argued in this essay that poverty is unequivocally a human rights issue. A better understanding of the human rights framework, as explained above, is crucial to improving the lives of those trapped in poverty. Economic growth alone, supported by economists, cannot make the campaign against poverty successful. Consequently, the role of international human rights defenders, local communities, development partners and national governments is crucial in promoting human rights and eradicating poverty. Works Cited1. United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Report-20112. Khan, I. (2009). The unheard truth. Poverty and human rights, published by Amnesty International3. Transparency International, Corruption Perception Index, various reports