UNGA 75: Eradicating rural poverty to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

 

 

74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
Second Committee
Agenda Item 24(c). Eradicating rural poverty to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Introductory Statement by
Benjamin Davis, Director of the FAO Division for Inclusive Rural Transformation and Gender Equity

 

 

Mr. Chairman,

Excellencies,

Distinguished delegates,

Ladies and gentlemen,

I have the honor to introduce the report of the Secretary-General on Eradicating rural poverty to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It was indeed a privilege for FAO to have led the writing of this report, as the eradication of rural poverty is at the core of our mandate, in close collaboration with the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), and with key contributions from WHO, ILO, UN-Women, UNCTAD and UNIDO. 

The report highlights the progress made in eradicating rural poverty and reducing inequality by first taking stock of the present situation, acknowledging the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic; and second, discussing the gaps and challenges in addressing the main areas of action and investments that are central to eradicate rural poverty. These include: disaggregated data for generating evidence; education; health; food security and nutrition; gender equality; empowerment and social inclusion; rural social protection systems; agricultural development and rural livelihoods; decent employment; financial inclusion; extreme weather and climate change; rural institutions; and, financing rural poverty eradication and policy coherence. It is important to name them as these are crucial areas for member states and the global community to invest in to achieve SDG1 and related goals. The report also presents policy recommendations that Member Countries may wish to consider in addressing this agenda.

The proportion of the global population living in extreme poverty fell from 36 per cent in 1990 to 10 per cent in 2015, yet 736.7 million people still lived in extreme poverty in 2015. The report argues that eradicating poverty requires addressing its multiple underlying causes, and notes with concern that the COVID-19 pandemic may push an additional 100 million people into extreme poverty in 2020. In fact, up to 115 million people, according to the latest projections of the World Bank released a few days ago. The report echoes the call of the Secretary General’s Decade of Action for Member States to urgently scale up a minimum set of investments to make possible the eradication of extreme poverty.

The report draws attention to the importance of national and global efforts to focus on rural development to achieve the 2030 Agenda, since 80 per cent of the extreme poor live in rural areas and 70 per cent of the SDG Targets relate to rural areas. Urban and rural inequalities remain sharp: the share of rural inhabitants in developing countries that live in extreme poverty is almost three times higher than the share of those living in urban areas.  Rural inhabitants have less access to basic services, infrastructure and employment opportunities than their urban counterparts, besides being disproportionately vulnerable to climate change shocks.

The report explains that the rural poor are a heterogeneous group consisting of family farmers, subsistence producers, agricultural workers, fishers, pastoralists and forest-dependent peoples.  Poverty eradication and rural development policies should be inclusive in order to ensure no one is left behind.

The report notes the key role of inclusive food systems in reducing poverty and promoting economic inclusion in rural areas. Globally, around 4.5 billion people depend on food systems for their livelihoods. Seventy-six per cent of rural workers who are extremely poor are engaged in agriculture. Particularly in low-income countries, agriculture is the leading economic sector for reducing rural poverty.

Nevertheless, investing in agriculture alone is not enough. The report underlines that the rural poor must also have access to social protection, decent employment opportunities, and to financial services.

The report highlights that specific groups face additional barriers and vulnerabilities: rural women, indigenous peoples, and rural working migrants. Rural women face the greatest inequalities and disadvantages, and often work without pay and endure gender-based violence. The report notes that strong public, private and non-state institutions at national and territorial level are fundamental for the eradication of rural poverty and to ensure participatory and inclusive development processes.

The report recommends that countries aim for an economic transformation in rural areas that increases productivity while ensuring adequate quantity and quality of employment, equitable distribution of income, wealth and resources, access to quality public services, a reliable social protection system, and protection of the environment. The report emphasizes the scale and urgency of the challenge of eradicating rural poverty to implement the 2030 Agenda and the need to mobilize additional resources from public and private sectors and official development assistance.

Mr. Chair,

Distinguished delegates,

I thank you for your attention and trust that the main findings of this report of the Secretary-General will facilitate your deliberations on the important agenda of the eradication of poverty.