Jakarta – Oct 17, 2019 – Marking the International Day of Poverty Eradication, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Tuesday hosted a bell ringing ceremony at the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) to raise awareness of the pivotal role the private sector can play in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda.

“There is still a wide gap of inequality in the regions such as the Moluccas and Papua, and these regions need extra push to create economic activities with added value,” Vivi Yulaswati, Expert Staff on Social Affairs and Poverty Eradication, for the National Minister of Planning (Bappenas), said in her speech.

“The corporate world needs to get involved in boosting the capacity of human capital, particularly among the surrounding communities where the companies operate,” she added.

UNDP Indonesia Resident Representative, Christophe Bahuet, said achieving the ambitious SDGs agenda requires greater participation from all stakeholders, including the corporate world

“We believe the private sector has a critical role in advancing the SDGs, including poverty reduction as it can create employment, build roads, hospitals, schools and support women and people with disabilities in the workforce.  For this reason, UNDP Indonesia reaches out to the Indonesia Stock Exchange to mark the International Day of Poverty Eradication,” said Christophe to an audience of largely corporate executives.

The Event also saw the unveiling of findings on the 2019 UNDP’s global Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index (MPI) which has become a key reference point for policy makers around the world.

This year’s MPI results show that 1.3 billion people worldwide live in multi-dimensional poverty. More than two-thirds of the multidimensionally poor—886 million people—live in middle-income countries. A further 440 million live in low-income countries. 

Even more staggering, worldwide, one in three children is multidimensionally poor, compared to one in six adults. That means that nearly half of the people living in multidimensional poverty—663 million—are children, with the youngest children bearing the greatest burden.

The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty has been observed every year since 1993, when the United Nations General Assembly, by resolution 47/196, designated this day to promote awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution in all countries. Poverty eradication remains at the core of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 

The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty promotes dialogue and understanding between people living in poverty and their communities, and society at large.

The Ring the Bell ceremony is co-hosted by Global Compact Network Indonesia and Tanoto Foundation.