“Acting together to achieve social and
environmental justice for all”
environmental justice for all”
The theme for the Day this year addresses the challenge of achieving social and environmental justice for all. The growing recognition of the multi-dimensionality of poverty means that these two issues are inseparably intertwined and that social justice cannot be fully realized without aggressively rectifying environmental injustices at the same time. Whereas progress has been made in addressing income poverty, there has been less success in addressing the other important dimensions of poverty, including the rapidly growing impact of the environment, within a more holistic approach.
People living in extreme poverty, often through sheer necessity, are the first to act decisively within their communities in response to poverty, climate change, and environmental challenges. However, their efforts and experience often go unnoticed and unappreciated; their ability to contribute positively to solutions has been overlooked; they are not recognized as drivers of change, and their voices are not heard, especially in international bodies.
This must change. The participation, knowledge, contributions, and experience of people living in poverty and those left behind must be valued, respected, and reflected in our efforts to build an equitable and sustainable world in which there is social and environmental justice for all. Governments must act decisively—in partnership and in solidarity with people living in poverty —to effectively address the impending global economic downturn that now threatens to erase part of the gains in reducing poverty and stall efforts to fight climate change and environmental degradation. The United Nations’ measures to ensure Member States can achieve the SGDs by 2030, including its proposed socio-economic responses to the global pandemic, must be robustly pro-poor and fully focused on establishing green pathways to recovery.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) was adopted on 20 November 1989. This landmark human rights treaty sets out the civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights of every child, regardless of their race, religion, or abilities.
In particular, the Convention recognizes the right of every child to a standard of living adequate for the child’s physical, mental, spiritual, moral, and social development. Poverty hurts children’s development and, in turn, leads to lower-income and health in adulthood. When child poverty is recognized as a denial of children’s human rights then people in positions of responsibility and power are legally bound to promote, protect, and fulfill children’s rights.
In particular, the Convention recognizes the right of every child to a standard of living adequate for the child’s physical, mental, spiritual, moral, and social development. Poverty hurts children’s development and, in turn, leads to lower-income and health in adulthood. When child poverty is recognized as a denial of children’s human rights then people in positions of responsibility and power are legally bound to promote, protect, and fulfill children’s rights.
Everyone can join the campaign on social media by using hashtag #EndPoverty and promoting the call to action to connect with people from around the world who have joined the fight to overcome poverty.
In addition to the commemorative event to be held in New York on 17 October, commemorations of the international day are being organized worldwide. The online community is asked to use #EndPoverty to share messages about the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty via social media.