
The Department of Social Affairs and other United Nations agencies mark the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (IDEP) each year with many partners, in particular with the International Committee for October 17 and people experiencing poverty acting together with those who stand with them for a world without poverty.

Every year, IDEP presents an opportunity to acknowledge the efforts and struggles of people living in poverty, for them to make their concerns heard by the UN system and Member States, and for the world to recognize that they are the first ones to fight against poverty. Today, they are also the most affected by the impact of the epidemics and climate change.
Ending social and institutional maltreatment is the umbrella theme of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty for 2024-2025. The realization of the importance of these two phenomena of maltreatment and the fundamental impact they can have on people’s lives is one of the achievements of the research on the Hidden Dimensions of Poverty, conducted by ATD Fourth World in 6 countries, in collaboration with the University of Oxford. Also, the absolute necessity of fighting against institutional maltreatment echoes the Sustainable Development Goal 16, which aims to (see UN General Assembly resolution 70/1 dated September 25, 2015, on p. 25):
“Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.”
The international research report on the Hidden Dimensions of Poverty defines institutional maltreatment as follows (see page 20):
“Institutional maltreatment is the failure of national and international institutions, through their actions or inaction, to respond appropriately and respectfully to the needs and circumstances of people in poverty, and thereby to ignore, humiliate and harm them.”
To use the words of a collective contribution from Luxembourg (see page 8) :
“[…] We’re also dependent on institutions. Very often you have to go and ask for help. You’re under a lot of pressure. Running left and right, telling your life story over and over again. We relive judgements based on our appearance, our family history, our background… So when we come into contact with support services, we don’t feel understood. Communication is difficult. Sometimes we don’t even dare ask for help anymore, because we have the impression that no one can or will help us. . ”
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2024
“ Progress towards achieving most of the Sustainable Development Goals has been either too slow or regressing. Poverty reduction efforts are faltering in many countries around the world.
I believe the disappointing progress towards eradicating poverty at the global level reflects the growing disconnect between decision-making at the multilateral level and decisive action at the national level.
At the United Nations, member states are not held accountable for failing to meet their obligations, including the Sustainable Development Goals.
The failure of governments to fulfill their obligations to eradicate poverty can be interpreted as systemic social and institutional maltreatment towards people living in poverty. ”
Excerpt from Donald Lee’s message on the occasion of the day.
October 17, 2024 was the occasion for commemorations, both in the prestigious ECOSOC chamber and in the gardens of the UN headquarters in New York.
Maryann Broxton, the main representative to the UN in New York for the International Movement ATD Fourth World, has introduced the co-masters of ceremony, Stacy White (an ATD Fourth World activist for over ten years) and Clara Ceravolo (from the “Child Poverty and Social Protection” team, in the Social Policy and Social Protection Division within UNICEF).
Wenyan Yang, Chief of the Global Dialogue for Social Development Branch at UN DESA’s Division for Inclusive Social Development, has read out the message of António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations. In his message, António Guterres recalled that to eradicate poverty in the world, “requires governments shaping institutions and systems that put people first.”
Charles Katoanga, Director of UN DESA’s Division for Inclusive Social Development, , then took the floor. He recalled that: “ Social maltreatment of people living in poverty, through discrimination and disrespect, cause a significant harm to individuals and communities that are already struggling. It leads to social exclusion and stigmatization, that strip people of their dignity .”
The commemoration continued with testimonies from 4 people.
Asha Mohamed, a member of ATD Fourth World in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, reflecting on her experience as a co-researcher working on the Hidden Dimensions of Poverty research in Tanzania, testified that she learned that: “people living in poverty never give up; they work hard to eradicate poverty but sometimes their efforts are destroyed by public and private institutions” and that without the full participation of people living in poverty, “inclusive development will not be achieved, and as a result poverty will continue to exist”.
Alain Meylan, a member of ATD Fourth World in Switzerland, who took part as a co-researcher in the “Poverty, Identity, Society” participatory research project, spoke of his experience as a forcibly-placed child in foster care. When you are seen as good-for-nothing, treated as irredeemable, “ This affects people’s identity. It is a violence that touches the soul, ” he declared. He concluded his speech with these powerful words: “We have a duty to show the world that we can change the world!”
Tyler Byrd, who shared his and his family’s experience in homeless shelters. He shared that “the shelter systems around the city see YOU as an issue to be fixed, rather than human beings.” He simply reminded us, by way of concluding his speech, that “ No one wants to be in the situation where they are begging for help; asking for housing. It is already hard on them. Do not be the reason it feels harder .”
Nancy Santos, Assistant Director of Project Access at Roxbury Community College in Boston, Massachusetts, shared the work of her team at Project Access, which provides students with integral support to address the non-academic challenges that often prevent them from continuing their studies to graduation, such as food insecurity, housing insecurity, difficulty accessing health insurance, legal services and more. “Being hungry is not shameful, but letting people go hungry is,” she declared.
Rashmi Banga, Chief of the Development Research Branch of UN DESA’s Economic Analysis and Policy Division, shared some of the findings presented in the recently published World Social Report 2024.
Christophe Bigot, French Ambassador to the UN, was then invited to close the celebration at the ECOSOC chamber. Showing his respect for the four previous speakers, he began his statement with the following words: “There are no speeches that can match the strength and truth that have been shared this afternoon.” He went on to say: “This fight against poverty is everyone’s fight. It is at the heart of the work of the United Nations. This fight is inseparable from the fight for peace.”
After being invited to continue in the UN gardens, those present were able to continue the rest of the ceremony by listening to a speech by Donald Lee, President of the International Movement ATD Fourth World. He took the opportunity to return to the spirit of the Day of October 17.
Students from the United Nations International School read the text of the commemorative stone in the six official UN languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish), after which a moment of silence was observed.
Finally, those present at the event were invited to leave a note as a gesture of solidarity with the victims of extreme poverty, and to take a group photo.
The day was also punctuated by several songs, performed by ALBA Musik, a group made up of vocalist Bárbara Martínez and guitarist Albert Alabedra, who were joined at times by other artists.
The speeches by the various guests encourage us to keep up our efforts to build a world without poverty.