This book finds that the UN's aim to free the world of poverty sits uneasily with the current reality of unremitting social polarisation and persisting mass poverty. This is not just one of those familiar ironies about the difference in the relationship between government and governed, over tub-thumping promises and delivery of those promises. It is a paradox consistently revealed in countless shapes and sizes. Therefore, the abasement of many millions of people in the world's increasingly unequal hierarchical social structure stands in sharp contrast to the plans agreed by the overwhelming majority of countries to establish universal human rights. If the violation of those rights is to be understood, and acted upon, the scale and severity of the violation of different kinds of rights – especially economic and social rights – has to be explained in relation to policies being applied at different levels.

In Parts I to III of this book the principal thrust of current international anti-poverty policies has been described, and the anti-poverty policies as well as trends in poverty of rich and poor countries laid out for comparison and appraisal. The case for an alternative approach to policy has been made. How can some of the lessons that may be drawn be put into international and national practice? In this part of the book some of those specific as well as general lessons are explained.

Theoretical context

This chapter picks up three elements of an alternative strategy for particular scrutiny:

• 1. the theoretical basis of social and economic development, including human rights;

• 2. the future role and functions of the major transnational corporations in relation to social as well as economic objectives;

• 3. the necessary recasting of the role and social and economic actions of the international financial agencies, particularly the World Bank.

Inevitably a theory has to be put forward to explain the extremes of human conditions and experiences, not as if these conditions and experiences were fixed but as a rapidly evolving, and deepening, reality. Providing such a multidimensional theory is not the purpose of this chapter. However, one reminder is relevant. The evolution of global capitalism must necessarily be a key theme of theory.