Remarks by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, on ‘Trends, options and strategies in poverty eradication across the world’ during the General Assembly Virtual high-level meeting on poverty eradication.
“(…) Now it is the time to focus on the imperative to eradicate poverty in all its forms everywhere. The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the immense fragilities and challenges we face —from pervasive structural inequalities to inadequate health infrastructure to the lack of universal social protection.
Societies, economies — and, most of all, people — are paying a heavy price.
And, of course, the pandemic is placing even greater obstacles on the pathway to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Poverty eradication is central to the 2030 Agenda and has been a major focus of our concerted efforts.
After many years of progress, poverty and hunger are today on the rise, reversing decades of progress and elevating already high levels of inequality within and between countries.
As with so many aspects of this pandemic, the impacts are falling disproportionately on the most vulnerable — people living in poverty, the working poor, women and children, persons with disabilities and other marginalized groups.
Those toiling in the informal sector — often without access to any form of social protection — are particularly vulnerable to poverty in the looming economic recession.
Excellencies, COVID-19 recovery and response must be focused on building back better. We simply cannot go back to the way things were.
We have an opportunity to create a people-centred economic recovery with decent jobs for all, enabling people to work their way out of poverty.
But this can only happen with the right policies in place, building on existing normative frameworks (…)” – António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations [Excerpt].
Full Remarks [as delivered]: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2020-06-30/secretary-generals-welcome-remarks-virtual-high-level-meeting-trends-options-and-strategies-poverty-eradication-delivered
