UN rallies 15 M Pinoys to join drive vs poverty

MANILA, Philippines – The United Nations began yesterday its UN Millennium Campaign to call on government leaders to step up efforts to alleviate poverty and meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.

At least 15 million Filipinos are expected to be mobilized tomorrow in the global event dubbed “Stand Up, Take Action Against Poverty.”

Salil Shetty, director of the UN Millennium Campaign organizing the event, said the campaign coincides with the commemoration of the International Day for Poverty Eradication and the Philippines’ National Week for Overcoming Extreme Poverty.

“This October 17-19, world leaders will hear directly from their people that they will no longer simply watch while 50,000 people die of preventable causes each day,” Shetty said.

“World leaders have just recommitted to achieving the MDGs and from this moment on, citizens will be holding them accountable for taking urgent action to deliver on their promises,” she said.

In September 2000, world leaders from 191 member countries of the UN adopted the Millennium Declaration and pledged to “spare no effort to free our fellow men, women and children from the abject and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty.”

The Millennium Declaration gave fruition to the MDGs, a set of eight time-bound goals encapsulating the world’s development aspirations by 2015.

Its goals include eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality and empowering women, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, ensuring environmental sustainability, and developing global partnership.

Halfway towards the target date of 2015, the UN takes stock of the gains made and the challenges ahead to attain the eight goals.

While the Philippines is progressing well in its bid to achieve most of the MDGs, faster pace of gains is urgently needed to reach 2015 targets, it said.

UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative Nileema Noble said the Philippines is now on track to meet the MDG targets on poverty reduction, nutrition, gender equality, reducing child mortality, combating HIV and AIDS, malaria and other diseases and access to safe drinking water, despite a series of natural disasters and challenges in the political environment.