On 22nd December 1992, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution 47/196 to observe 17th October as an as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the same resolution and also the 30th anniversary of the Call to Action by Father Joseph Wresinski — which inspired the observance of October 17 as the World Day for Overcoming Extreme Poverty.
The 2018 theme for the day is- Coming together with those furthest behind to build an inclusive world of universal respect for human rights and dignity.
“The commemoration of October 17 each year, when people living in poverty take the floor and share their experiences, demonstrates how we can achieve greater social inclusion by enabling people from all walks of life to come together to respect the human rights and dignity of people living in poverty,” said UN.
“It underscores the importance of reaching out to people living in poverty and building an alliance around their priorities with citizens from all backgrounds to end extreme poverty. It recognizes the important mutual roles and relationships we have with each other based on our common and equal dignity.”
Keeping in view the persistence of poverty in the world, the UN during its 72nd General Assembly Session launched the Third United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (2018–2027), under the theme “Accelerating global actions for a world without poverty”.
“The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty can strongly complement such initiatives because it aims to ensure that the active participation of people living in extreme poverty and those furthest behind is a driving force in all efforts made to overcome poverty, including in the design and implementation of programmes and policies which affect them,” the UN websites reads.
