The United Nations has tasked all Governments and societies to break down the walls of poverty which today affects one billion people worldwide and the more than 800 million who endure hunger and malnutrition daily.
It urged the world to address the systemic socio-economic inequalities and facilitate the engagement of all people living in extreme poverty to help themselves, their families and their communities to build a more equitable, sustainable and prosperous future for all.
“We must break down the walls of poverty and exclusion that plague so many people in every region of the world. We must build inclusive societies that promote participation by all. We must ensure the voices of all those living in poverty are heard, the UN Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon stated in his message at the UN headquarters in New York to mark the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
The theme for this year’s observance of the day, which falls annually on October 17 is “Moving from Humiliation and Exclusion to Participation: Ending Poverty in All its Forms”.
Mr. Ban Ki-Moon pointed out that humiliation and exclusion are powerful drivers of social unrest and, in extreme cases, the violent extremism that is troubling so many parts of our world. But, in most instances, people living in poverty respond to these societal ills with stoic resilience as they work to escape the degrading reality of their daily lives.
In order to fulfil the promise of the 2030 Agenda, the Secretary General urged world leaders to “leave no one behind, we must address the humiliation and exclusion of people living in poverty”. saying that “Poverty is both a cause and consequence of marginalization and social exclusion. It is manifested in restricted access to health, education and other essential services and too often, by the denial or abuse of other fundamental human rights’.
On this International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, the UN boss pleaded with world leaders “let us listen to and heed the voices of people living in poverty. Let us commit to respect and defend the human rights of all people and end the humiliation and social exclusion that people living in poverty face every day by promoting their involvement in global efforts to end extreme poverty once and for all.
“We are approaching the end of the first year of implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. With its 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the 2030 Agenda is a universal vision for peace, prosperity and dignity for all people on a healthy planet. Achieving this objective is inconceivable without fulfilling the mandate of SDG 1 to end poverty in all its forms” he noted.
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