By Emma Kakololo
WINDHOEK
The United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, has called on world leaders to keep up their promise to spare no effort to free citizens from the abject and dehumanising conditions of extreme poverty.
“Let us all stand up. Let us demonstrate the political will required to end the scourge of poverty once and for all,” he said in a statement that was read by the United Nations Development Programme Resident Representative, Simon Nhongo, during the commemoration of International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on Wednesday.
To commemorate the day, millions of people globally stood up on Wednesday to show solidarity with people living in poverty everywhere and to renew their commitment to the fight against extreme poverty and inequality.
Last year, the UN Millennium Campaign set a Guinness world record for the largest single mobilisation in history when 23,5 million people, including over nine million in India, in over 100 countries stood up against poverty on October 17.
World leaders made the pledge two years ago at the United Nations Millennium Summit. During the Summit, leaders resolved that by 2015 they would, among others, halve the proportions of the world’s people living in extreme poverty and hunger and without safe drinking water; achieve universal access to primary schooling and gender equality at all levels of education; reduce child mortality by two thirds and maternal mortality by three quarters; halt the spread of HIV/AIDS and reduce the incidence of other major diseases; integrate the principles of sustainable development into their policies; and forge a global partnership for development.
Ki-moon said: “We have just passed the midpoint in the race to reach the Goals by the target date of 2015. Our global scorecard is mixed. Some regions – particularly sub-Saharan Africa – are not on track.”
“That is why we must redouble our efforts and form a true partnership for development – a partnership of rich and poor countries alike.”
According to the latest data, about 50 000 people die daily because of extreme poverty, while the gap between rich and poor is getting wider.
“It is why today, tens of millions of people are making their voices heard. They are sending messages or signing petitions that call on their leaders to keep their promises.
“They are calling for the actions of citizens to be matched by the actions of governments, in developing as well as developed countries, in support of the Millennium Development Goals.”