Since October 17, 1987, people from all walks of life, countries and faiths have come together to show solidarity with the poor and to put forward their commitment to fight poverty. They wish to recall that poverty is a violation of human rights and requires solidarity action to ensure that these rights are respected.
The UN Secretary General, António Guterres, said: “You cannot end child poverty without tackling household poverty, as the former is often the result of the latter. Access to quality social services must be a priority, even though today almost two-thirds of children have no social protection.”
This day is also associated with the World March of Women, held every five years, which puts forward demands related to the elimination of poverty and women’s living conditions.