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Ending Poverty
We may think we understand the concept of poverty, but poverty is very complex and has far-reaching effects. It negatively impacts education, economies, and the overall health and well-being of individuals and the communities they live in. By fully understanding the meaning of poverty, we can develop more effective measures to fight it and build a better future for all of humanity. By 2025, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) aims to help 100 million people escape multidimensional poverty so they can reach their full potential.
“Ending poverty in all its forms everywhere” – the overarching goal of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – reflects a growing consensus on the need to consider other dimensions, beyond monetary ones, when thinking about poverty. This year's theme for the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (17 October) is about ending social and institutional maltreatment and Acting Together for just, peaceful and inclusive societies. Social and institutional maltreatment is a catastrophic loss of human potential to society.
This year's International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, celebrated annually on October 17th, aims to promote understanding and dialogue between people living in poverty and the wider society. It also calls for universal access to decent work and social protection to uphold human dignity and emphasizes that work must empower people, provide fair wages and safe working conditions, and recognize the value and humanity of all workers. Universal social protection is also urgently needed to guarantee income security for everyone, prioritizing society's most vulnerable members.
The world is at a crossroad, does it reposnd to crisis after crisis or invest in a structural change for a stronger, more sustainable future? Global crises have exposed how inadequate our resources are to prevent future emergencies. With 4 in 5 of the world’s poorest people living in rural areas, the road to a resilient future runs through rural communities. IFAD is investing in rural people for a sustainable future. By making the right choices and the right investments now, a new day—and a better future—is possible.
The world's farmers produce enough food to feed more than the global population yet, hunger persists. Food is the third most basic human need after air and water – everyone should have the right to adequate food. This World Food Day (16 October) advocates for the need of having a greater diversity of nutritious foods available in our fields, fishing nets, markets, and on our tables, for the benefit of all. Follow our live coverage for all the day’s events.