• International Days
• International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, which has its origins in an event held on October 17, 1987, is a global commemoration. On that day, more than a hundred thousand people gathered at the Trocadéro in Paris, the site where the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed in 1948, to pay tribute to those suffering from extreme poverty, violence, and hunger. They made a powerful statement that poverty is a violation of human rights and stressed the importance of coming together to ensure these rights are upheld. These principles are etched in a memorial stone unveiled on that day. Since then, individuals from diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and social origins have convened every year on October 17th to reaffirm their commitment and express their solidarity with those in poverty. Replicas of this memorial stone have been unveiled worldwide, serving as gathering places for International Day for the Eradication of Poverty celebrations. For instance, one such replica is situated in the garden of the United Nations Headquarters, where the United Nations Secretariat in New York organizes an annual commemoration event.

In a world marked by unprecedented economic development, technological advancements, and financial resources, the fact that millions of people still endure extreme poverty is a deeply distressing moral issue. Poverty is not just an economic problem; it is a complex issue encompassing both inadequate income and the fundamental capabilities necessary for a life of dignity.

Individuals living in poverty face a range of interconnected and reinforcing hardships that hinder them from realizing their rights and perpetuate their impoverished circumstances. These hardships include:

Hazardous working conditions, Insecure housing, Insufficient access to nutritious food, Disparities in accessing justice, Limited political influence, Restricted access to healthcare.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development sets a crucial objective of completely eliminating extreme poverty for all individuals worldwide by the year 2030. Extreme poverty, defined as the condition of living on less than $2.15 per person per day at the purchasing power parity of 2017, has seen significant reductions in recent years.

Nonetheless, the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic represents a significant shift, undoing these positive trends. It led to a reversal of these gains, with the number of people living in extreme poverty increasing for the first time in a generation, surpassing earlier projections by nearly 90 million individuals.