Every year on 17 October, International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is celebrated.
The theme of International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2023 is “Decent Work and Social Protection: Putting Dignity in Practice for All.”
On October 17, 1987, the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty was first observed.
On 22 December 1992, the UN General Assembly declared 17 October as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
The day also marks the anniversary of the call to action by Father Joseph Wresinski, which started the celebration of the World Day for Overcoming Extreme Poverty on 17 October.
Poverty is not only an economic issue but is a multidimensional phenomenon. It comes with a lack of both income and the basic capabilities to live in dignity.
The General Assembly proclaimed the Third UN Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (2018-2027) in its resolution 72/233.
The first UN Decade for the Eradication of Poverty was from 1997 to 2006, while the second UN Decade for the Eradication of Poverty was from 2008 to 2017.
According to UNDP, the share of the world’s workers living in extreme poverty halved from 14.3% in 2010 to 7.1% in 2019.
