United Nations(UN)’s International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is annually observed across the globe on 17th October to create and raise awareness on the needs to eradicate poverty and about the life conditions of the people living in poverty.
The first International Day for the Eradication of Poverty was observed on 17th October 1993.
The theme of 2020 International day for the Eradication of Poverty is “Acting together to achieve social and environmental justice for all”.
Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in its resolution A/RES/47/196 on 22nd December 1992 proclaimed the 17th October as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
ii.The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2020 marks the 27th anniversary of the declaration of the resolution.
History:
i.The observance of 17th October as the World day for overcoming Extreme Poverty was inspired by the Call to Action by Father Joseph Wresinski, founder of International Movement ATD Fourth World which was later recognised by the UN as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
ii.The 2020 also marks the 32nd anniversary of the call to action by Father Joseph Wresinski.
World day for overcoming Extreme Poverty was first celebrated in 1987 at the Human Rights Plaza in Paris.
Events 2020:
i.The International day for the Eradication of Poverty 2020 is commemorated as a online event over the social media campaign using #EndPoverty.
ii.This campaign aims to promote the call to action and connect people across the globe.
iii.As a part of the International day a commemorative event will be held in New York and various events are organised across the globe.
3rd Decade of Eradicating poverty:
i.The economic growth across the developing countries since 2000, with a higher growth rate in Gross Domestic Product(GDP) per capita than the advanced countries.
ii.This economic growth has supported the reduction of poverty in job creation, gender equality, education and health care, agriculture and rural development, and climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Impacts of COVID-19 on Global poverty:
i.The estimated short term impacts on global monetary poverty through the reduction in per capita household income or consumption shows that the pandemic poses a threat to the UN Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) of ending poverty by 2030.
ii.The pandemic could increase global poverty for the first time since 1990.
iii.In the worst case scenario of around 20% income or consumption contraction, will increase the number of people living in poverty by 420-580 million.
iv.The World Bank estimates that the pandemic will push around 150 million people into extreme poverty by 2021.
Recent Related News:
i.On 2nd September 2020, The United Nations(UN) Women and United Nations Development Programme(UNDP) released new data which states that the COVID-19 pandemic will have negative impacts on the women and will increase the poverty rate of women and widen the gap between men and women in poverty. The summarised data is published as a report titled “From Insights to Actions: Gender Equality in the wake of COVID-19” by the UN Women.
ii.The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) released its first report titled “Lives Upended How COVID-19 threatens the futures of 600 million South Asian children” focusing on the South Asian region on the impacts of COVID-19 on children
About ATD Fourth World International Movement:
President– Donald Lee
General Delegate– Isabelle Pypaert Perrin
