combined with the extreme youthfulness of the population makes it difficult to meet social needs (education and health). The rate of illiteracy was estimated at 71.3% in 2005. But, the primary school enrolment rate was 57.1% in 2006-2007, with girls making up 47.4%. In health, the infant/juvenile mortality rate was 198‰ in 2006. In the same year, the proportion of underweight children below 5 was 44% and those presenting retarded growth represented 50 %. The health coverage rate in 2005 was 65%. Life expectancy is 54 years for men and 56 years for women. The maternal mortality rate is 648 for 100,000 life births while the fertility rate, the highest in the world, stands at 7.1% per women. Confronted with this hard social and economic situation, Niger tried out several solutions and devised different plans to meet the population‟s needs. These plans were initiated and financed with the support of development partners and include: - the forecast studies in 1961; the 1965-1974 ten-year prospects; the 1965-1968 four-year Plan; the 1976-1978 three-year Programme; the 1987-1991 Five-year Plan. From 1980 to 2000, Niger again embraced the structural adjustment programme. This programme resulted in: - the privatization of State corporations; the implementation of measures of budgetary stringency. But, as from 2000, fiscal revenue improved slightly, rising from 8.6% of GDP in 2000 to 10.6% in 2002 while expenditure dropped from 12.5% of GDP in 1999 to 11% in 20021. Despite this significant improvement, the people‟s living standards deteriorated. The different UNDP Human Development Reports showed that the human poverty index has remained above 60% since 19962. LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE PROMOTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN NIGER Niger has ratified virtually all international legal instruments on the promotion of human rights. A compendium of international and regional instruments was prepared in July 2003. The Constitution of 9 August 1999 proclaims in its preamble the country‟s attachment to democratic values and human rights as defined by the Universal Declaration on Human Rights of 1948 and the African Charter of Human and Peoples‟ Rights of 1981, enshrined in Part 2 thereof. It is important to note that the State of Niger has done quite much to promote these rights. These include: 1 2 the creation of the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms; the creation of the Department of Human Rights in the Ministry of Justice; Food, education and care for all Niger citizens: Demography in perspective, March 2004 PAN/SPDE 2004-2010 8