Nepal on 2nd United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (2008-2017)

Written by UN Nepal Mission

Thursday, 22 October 2009 06:40

New York- Statement on behalf of the Group of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) by Mr. Mani Ratna Sharma, First Secretary of the Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations at the Second committee of the 64th General Assembly on Item 57: Eradication of poverty and other development issues:

(a) Implementation of the Second United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (2008-2017)

(b) Women in development

(New York, 22 October, 2009)

Mr. Chairman,

I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of Least Developed Countries (LDCs). I would like to associate it with the Statement made by Sudan on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

My delegation would like to thank the Secretariat for the presentation of the reports on this agenda item.

Mr. Chairman,

Poverty eradication is the greatest global challenge and the common enemy that the world is facing today, particularly for the least developed countries.

Food, fuel and the financial crisis coupled with climate change are exacerbating the living conditions of the world’s poorest people. The crisis has pushed 100 million more people into poverty, and 40 million more are facing malnutrition.

Today, there are 1.4 billion poor people in the world. While the overall percentage of those living in extreme poverty seems to have been declining, many least developed countries are lagging behind in achieving similar progress.

The global economic downturn is reversing some of the development gains that the LDCs have made so far in reducing poverty. This has made harder for them to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. In the wake of these crises, there is a need for better understanding of the nature and range of the obstacles faced by LDCs in their efforts to reduce poverty by addressing it comprehensively and holistically, taking into account that poverty could cause political and social instability.

The LDCs themselves have made significant strides taking special initiatives in poverty reduction during the First Decade for the Eradication of Poverty and have been implementing their national plans, sometimes as Poverty Reduction Strategic Plans. But their achievement has not been matched by the commensurate flow of external resources and support. Clearly, more needs to be done.

The global efforts of poverty eradication rests at precipice in the face of declining Official Development Assistance and the challenges imposed by the global financial and economic crisis, which is already hitting the least developed countries at the core of their economic survival.

The stalled negotiations on trade pose yet another challenge in removing the obstacles in external trade of the least developed countries through Development Round of negotiations.

We believe that the best way to step forward in the Second Decade for poverty eradication is by doing a pragmatic and constructive analysis of achievements, constraints, lessons learned, feedback the results achieved so far. This calls for an increased engagement and substantive improvement in the specific roles and mandates of United Nations agencies involved in poverty reduction.

The Second Decade should focus on implementation of, support for and monitoring of initiatives to generate greater momentum for global action towards poverty eradication. That should entail strengthening, among other things, national ownership, partnership between governments, civil society and the private sector; and coordination and alignment of United Nations country programmes with national development objectives.

Mr. Chairman,

The persistence of poverty in many parts of the world has resulted not only from inequitable distribution of economic, social and political opportunities, but also from the social exclusion and deprivation of human rights. The eradication of poverty, therefore, is a development goal, as well as human rights challenge.

The lives and physical well-being of those living in extreme poverty is continuously threatened by a lack of food, the risk of disease, hazardous work and precarious living conditions. Least Developed Countries particularly have felt the inadequacy of resources in overcoming those challenges. Poverty, by its nature and consequences, is an international problem and it could only be dealt with by collective measures at international level.

The complexity of the challenge calls for comprehensive action and need for a better understanding of the deep-rooted causes of poverty. The current state of poverty in the world exists because of the inability of our current method and degree of global attention on this issue. “Making poverty history” will sound hollow, if that is not matched by commensurate resources, programs, and policy space for the developing countries, particularly the least developed ones.

Poverty is inseparably linked to a lack of access to, or loss of control over resources, including land, skills, knowledge, capital and social connections. Without those resources, people normally have limited access to institutions, markets, employment and public services, a situation that particularly affected young people and women. Those groups must be mainstreamed and included into national development through viable human resource development strategies. They must also be consulted in the policy-development process. Women around the world, and particularly in the least developed countries, should be empowered and brought to mainstreams, to curb on the process of feminization of poverty.

Mr. Chairman,

Although the world is approaching to the deadline year for achieving the Millennium Development Goals, the elimination of poverty is still a major challenge and an obstacle to sustainable development.

While the current multiple global crises made the task of poverty reduction much more difficult, the international community must not retract from their commitment in helping developing countries, especially the LDCs.

Poverty anywhere is poverty everywhere. Its eradication is a boundless pursuit of justice, equality, fairness and dignified life, which the international community has an obligation to pursue by all means.

I thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Comments

< Prev		Next >

NEWS: बिबिसी नेपाली सेवा ::

Inside

Comments

Most Popular News Links: Top 100

Member Login

Members Data

You Vote!