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October 18, 2021
Anna Murray
UN Secretary General António Guterres has described current global poverty levels as a moral indictment of our times, pointing out that extreme poverty is on the rise for the first time in two decades. This was stated by Guterres in his message commemorating the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, which was observed worldwide on October 17. According to Guterres, the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on economies and societies around the world, with 120 million more people was to fall into poverty by 2020.
The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is an opportunity to not only recognize the difficulties that the poor face around the world, but also to make poverty concerns heard by everyone, especially policymakers. In December 1992, the United Nations General Assembly declared October 17 to be the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. All member countries were required to promote poverty-eradication efforts in their respective countries.
Since the early 1990s, the world has advanced significantly on all fronts, including economics, social science, technology, and a variety of other factors. However, many people continue to live in poverty, without an income or the necessities of life. Between 2000 and 2015, the world saw significant reductions in poverty as a result of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). However, in a far more serious announcement in 2015, United Nations member countries reaffirmed their commitment to eradicating poverty and committing to implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It set the goal of eliminating extreme poverty for all people everywhere by 2030, which is currently defined as earning less than USD 1.25 per day (SDG no. 1.1). The SDGs also call for the abolition of all forms of poverty.
On October 17, Achim Steiner, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), issued a statement commemorating the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty titled "Building Forward Together: Ending Persistent Poverty, Respecting All People and Our Planet." Meanwhile, the UNDP's Strategic Plan 2022-2025 outlines the organization's audacious goal of lifting 100 million people out of multidimensional poverty. As a result, UNDP has made the bold commitment to collaborate with partners to provide 500 million more people with access to clean, renewable energy by 2025. These contributions are only a fraction of the UN's global efforts to assist communities in recovering from the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, including poverty abolition and shaping a future that balances the needs of both people and the environment.