UN Urges Greater
Action Against Poverty
United Nations
Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon has called for greater
efforts toward meeting the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs of
halving poverty by the Year 2015.
“All nations must work together if we are to slash destitution,
hunger, disease and illiteracy by half in 2015,” Ban said in an
address in New York, on Wednesday.
Global Action
“Today, tens of millions of people are making their voices heard
and they are sending messages or signing petitions that call on
their leaders to keep their promises…hey are calling for the
actions of citizens to be matched by the actions of governments,
in developing as well as developed countries, in support of the
MDGs,” he told more than 900 diplomats and UN staff members.
The UN Scribe noted that the “global scorecard is mixed'' at the
midpoint in the race to reach the MDGs by 2015, with some
regions,
not on track, particularly Africa.
He therefore called for a redoubling of efforts and the
formation of a “true partnership for development'' between rich
and poor countries.
“Let us all stand up. Let us demonstrate the political will
required to end the scourge of poverty once and for all,” Mr.
Ban declared, as he led those gathered in reciting an
anti-poverty pledge.
UN General Assembly President, Srgjan Kerim who also
participated in the event commended the commitment of men, women
and children to the initiative against extreme poverty.
Worried by extreme poverty and UN records showing that 980
million people were living on less than one dollar a day,
leaders of UN member nations in Year 2000 committed themselves
to the MDGs to end the scourge.
NAN/YINKA
