The United Nations General Assembly declared 17 October as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty through resolution 47/196 adopted on 22 December 1992 . The resolution further invites intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to assist States, at their request, in organizing national activities for the observance of the Day, and requests the Secretary-General to take, within existing resources, the measures necessary to ensure the success of the Day's observance by the United Nations. 17 October presents an opportunity to acknowledge the effort and struggle of people living in poverty, a chance for them to make their concerns heard, and a moment to recognize that poor people are the first ones to fight against poverty. Participation of the poor themselves has been at the center of the Day's celebration since its very beginning. The commemoration of October 17th also reflects the willingness of people living in poverty to use their expertise to contribute to the eradication of poverty.

FORUM : International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2020 Acting together to achieve social and environmental justice for all.

The theme for the Day this year addresses the challenge of achieving social and environmental justice for all. The growing recognition of the multi-dimensionality of poverty means that these two issues are inseparably intertwined, and that social justice cannot be fully realized without aggressively rectifying environmental injustices at the same time. Whereas progress has been made in addressing income poverty, there has been less success in addressing the other important dimensions of poverty, including the rapidly growing impact of the environment, within a more holistic approach. People living in extreme poverty, often through sheer necessity, are the first to act decisively within their communities in response to poverty, climate change and environmental challenges. However, their efforts and experience often go unnoticed and unappreciated; their ability to contribute positively to solutions has been overlooked; they are not recognized as drivers of change, and their voices are not heard, especially in international bodies. This must change. The participation, knowledge, contributions and experience of people living in poverty and those left behind must be valued, respected and reflected in our efforts to build an equitable and sustainable world in which there is social and environmental justice for all.

Statement by the UN Secretary-General on International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2020, October 17th.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a double crisis for the world’s poorest people.

First, they have the highest risk of exposure to the virus, and least access to quality healthcare.

Second, recent estimates show the pandemic could push up to 115 million people into poverty this year – the first increase in decades. Women are at greatest risk because they are more likely to lose their jobs, and less likely to have social protection.

In these extraordinary times, we need extraordinary efforts to fight poverty.

The pandemic demands strong collective action.

Governments must accelerate economic transformation by investing in a green, sustainable recovery.

We need a new generation of social protection programmes that also cover people working in the informal economy.

Joining together in common cause is the only way we will emerge safely from this pandemic.

On the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, let’s stand in solidarity with people living in poverty, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

António Guterres

CAMPAIGN: Join the #EndPoverty global campaign!

Everyone can join the campaign on social media by using hashtag #EndPoverty and promoting the call to action to connect with people from around the world who have joined the fight to overcome poverty. The online community is asked to use #EndPoverty to share messages about the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty via social media.

EVENTS: The U.N. Assembly invited all States to devote the Day to presenting and promoting, as appropriate in the national context, concrete activities with regard to the eradication of poverty and destitution. In addition to the commemorative event to be held in New York on 17 October, commemorations of the international day are being organized worldwide. The online community is asked to use #EndPoverty to share messages about the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty via social media.

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