Editor's note:Every year Oct 17th , is The observance of the International Day, Commemorative activities were held in the United Nations Economic and Social Council Hall and United Nations Park on the day by ATD (All Together in Dignity) Fourth World Movement.
The observance of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty can be traced back to 17 October 1987. On that day, over a hundred thousand people gathered at the Trocadéro in Paris, where the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed in 1948, to honour the victims of extreme poverty, violence and hunger.
They proclaimed that poverty is a violation of human rights and affirmed the need to come together to ensure that these rights are respected. These convictions are inscribed in a commemorative stone unveiled on this day. Since then, people of all backgrounds, beliefs and social origins have gathered every year on October 17 th to renew their commitment and show their solidarity with the poor.
Replicas of the commemorative stone have been unveiled around the world and serve as a gathering place to celebrate the Day. One such replica is located in the garden of United Nations Headquarters and is the site of the annual commemoration organized by the United Nations Secretariat in New York.
ATD (All Together in Dignity) Fourth World Movement works to overcome the injustices of persistent poverty and social exclusion by bringing together people from all walks of life, learning from people who face poverty every day, and running family and community projects. ATD Fourth World has grassroots teams in 34 countries and works with the United Nations, UNICEF, UNESCO, the ILO, the Council of Europe and the European Union.