The International day for Eradication of Poverty is observed every year on October 17.

Key Points

• The day is observed to recognize and acknowledge the efforts and struggles faced by people, who are pushed to live in poverty.
• It provides a chance to these people to speak out their concerns and make every people to realize that these poor people are the first one to fight poverty.

World Bank Report

• As per World Bank report, United Nations states that, 88 to 115 million people have been pushed towards poverty. Majority of the people are from South Asian and Sub-Saharan regions who were pushed towards poverty during the Covid-19 pandemic.
• The number might have increased, in the range of 143 and 163 million.
• These figures is addition to existing 1.3 billion people who were already living under poverty before the pandemic.

History of the day

Poverty was proclaimed as violation of human rights on October 17, 1987. It was proclaimed by people who got assembled at the Trocadero in Paris in order to honour the victims of extreme poverty, hunger as well as violence. On this day, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was also signed in the year 1948. Finally on December 22, 1992, UN General Assembly adopted its resolution 47/196 and proclaimed October 17 as “International Day for the Eradication of Poverty”.

First Commemoration

The first commemoration of International day for Eradication of Poverty” took place in Paris, France, in the year 1987. The day honoured the victims of poverty, hunger and violence.