Abstract

In contemporary human rights discourse, poverty is not merely a lack of income or material deprivation; rather, it is a multidimensional condition connected to deprivation of education, health, housing, social security, employment, access to justice, participation, and human dignity. This study examines the role of international human rights instruments in poverty eradication at national and international levels, with a focus on Iran. The central question is whether international law recognizes an obligation to eradicate poverty and, if so, what roles national states and the international community play in fulfilling that obligation. The research adopts a descriptive, analytical, and critical approach, using documentary analysis, systematic literature review, expert based Delphi logic, thematic analysis, and social impact assessment of anti poverty policies. The findings indicate that the obligation to eradicate poverty can be derived from a set of rights and principles, including the right to an adequate standard of living, the rights to health, education, work and social security, the principle of non discrimination, the right to development, and international cooperation. In the Iranian context, the main challenge is not the complete absence of legal foundations, but the gap between the recognition of rights, policy design, budgeting, implementation, and assessment of social impacts. The study concludes that anti poverty policies are compatible with a human rights based approach only when they move beyond short term relief and are grounded in sustainable empowerment, participation of target groups, distributive justice, institutional accountability, and national and international cooperation.