Let Us ‘Act with Solidarity to End Poverty for Good’, Says Secretary-General in Message for International Day

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres' message for the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, observed on 17 October:

Too often, people living in poverty are blamed, stigmatized and pushed into the shadows.

Yet, poverty is not a personal failure; it is a systemic failure - a denial of dignity and human rights.

This year's International Day for the Eradication of Poverty calls on us all to stop the social and institutional maltreatment of people living in poverty - and to honour the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals to eradicate poverty in all its forms, everywhere.

That requires policies that leave no one behind: affordable healthcare and housing; decent work and fair wages; universal social protection; food security; quality education; and financing that works for countries and communities.

On this International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, let's reject stigma and discrimination. Let's stand with people living in poverty, and act with solidarity to end poverty for good.