"...One person living in poverty is one person too many!"

    On December 22nd, 1992, The United Nations’ General Assembly (GA) adopted October 17th as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (IDEP). Through Resolution 47/196, the GA turned to governmental and non-governmental bodies and institutions to dedicate this day to activities that promote the alleviation of poverty.

   This resolution is one of the many steps that the UN system has taken in efforts to secure a space for poverty alleviation on the global development agenda. The Millennium Development Goals, and particularly Goal 1: the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, is another significant step taken by the UN to galvanize worldwide participation in ending the poverty crisis.

Farm Land Clean-up after Hurricane Ivan in Grenada

    Defining the current poverty crisis entails the inclusion of more than the concepts of income, net production, and profit. A proper conceptualization of this crisis takes into consideration issues such as access to education, gender equality, sustainable environments, HIV/AIDS, and other related risk factors and social determinants that further aggravate the impact of poverty. This issue resonates in the characterization of poverty in the Caribbean region.

    Bearing witness to the challenges that poverty poses on development within the sub-region, the UNDP Sub-regional Office for Barbados and the OECS organized a series of activities to commemorate the IDEP 2007. These activities are meant to transcend their celebratory value and have been programmed to address four main objectives: 

1. To increase regional attention to poverty and inequality issues present in the sub-region.
2. To advocate for a multidimensional approach to poverty that requires the participation of all of us.
3. To celebrate efforts to reduce poverty across Barbados and ECS.
4. To continue to highlight the linkages between poverty and other development challenges.

    The general goals of the IDEP activities are to advocate for the end of poverty in the region and raise awareness on the need for persons to become active and join in the eradication efforts.

Related Links

Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Organization of Eastern Carribean States