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Since
1993, the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, October 17,
has been a day for all those living in extreme poverty to speak out. It
also calls all citizens of the world to consider how to eliminate ?the
terrorism of abject poverty,? which, according to Godfrey Smith,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Belize, is the greatest evil of the
present time, afflicting millions who know that they can die from
hunger or preventable disease. The theme of this year?s international
day is "Achieving the Millennium Development Goals - empowering the poorest of the poor".
Although
the number of people living in extreme poverty has decreased in Asia
during the last 15 years, it has increased in other developing regions,
including in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the Outcome Document of the just
completed UN Summit, world leaders recommitted to achieving the MDGs by
2015, recognizing that the ?battle against poverty is one which we must
all fight ? and win ? together? by moving quickly on follow-up and
implementation of the renewed pledges. (Jan Eliasson, Sweden, President
of the General Assembly).
For follow-up by NGOs worldwide, keep watching the website for The Global Call to Action Against Poverty (www.whiteband.org), which lists country-specific actions in the continuing campaign to fight poverty throughout the world.
In
1996, the General Assembly proclaimed the United Nations Decade for the
Eradication of Poverty (1997-2006), and gave it the theme: ?Eradicating
poverty is an ethical, social, political and economic imperative of
humankind.? (A/RES/51/178). The upcoming annual session of the
Commission on Social Development (in February 2006) will review the
Decade.
For more information on the UN International Day
for the Eradication of Poverty and the UN Decade on the Eradication of
Poverty, see
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