International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, and friends, welcome to the United Nations for the 34th commemoration of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

We are happy to welcome you all today. I am Bonnie Dougal.

And I am Thani Brown. We have the privilege of serving as your co-master of ceremony for today's commemoration.

To ensure everyone can fully follow along, the program is available digitally. Simply scan the QR code printed on the back of your ticket or on the screens.

We will also hear a contribution delivered via pre-recorded video. English subtitles will appear on your screen, and you can read the full transcript inside your digital program.

We hope that you will take the message from this meeting beyond this room. Please share your reflections on X and other social media platforms using the hashtag #IDEP2026 and the hashtags that are visible around the room. We also ask that you silence your mobile phones at this time.

Today, we unite under our global theme, United for Peace and Human Rights, Safe Homes for All. We come together to honor the millions of people around the world living with the daily reality of poverty and to uplift their courageous hopes for a peaceful and dignified future. True peace requires justice, adequate housing, social protection, and meaningful participation for everyone. This day represents a space for collective solidarity, a platform to affirm that housing is a fundamental human right, and that the dignity of every person must be recognized and protected.

To begin our commemoration and share the official message for this International Day, it is our distinct honor to introduce our first speaker.

Please join us in welcoming Ms. Bjorg Sandkjaer, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination at the UN DESA, who will be delivering the statement of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for the 2026 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. Ms. Bjorg Sandkjaer, the floor is yours.

Thank you to the moderators, dear fellow panelists, not least, welcome all of the participants here in the room to the UN for the commemoration of this important International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. And it's my pleasure to deliver this message on behalf of the Secretary-General. Poverty is an affront to human dignity and the denial of human rights. It closes off opportunities and leaves people more exposed when crisis strikes. This year's theme, safe homes for all, shines a light on how poverty increases the risk of housing insecurity, while unaffordable rents, insecure tenure and homelessness can push people deeper into poverty. The consequences can last for generations, reinforcing inequality, undermining health, disrupting education and making stable employment even harder to secure. Breaking this vicious cycle means preventing income and housing shocks from setting off a downward spiral. It requires affordable housing and basic services, alongside decent work and universal social protection. Last year's Doha political declaration renewed the world's promise to eradicate poverty and confront the inequalities and injustices that perpetuate it. Delivering on this commitment requires stronger national action, backed by international co-operation and adequate financing. The severe commitment, also from last year, and on financing for development, charts the path forward. We need to reform the international financial architecture to make it more inclusive, representative, and responsive to the needs of developing countries. Ladies and gentlemen, the resources and knowledge exist. On this International Day, let us mobilize the political will and investments that are needed to ensure that everyone has a safe home and the opportunity to build a life of dignity, free from poverty. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Assistant Secretary-General Sankar, for delivering the United Nations Secretary-General's message today. His remarks serve as a powerful reminder of some truths. The resources and knowledge exist, and we need to mobilize the political will and investments that are needed. The Assistant Secretary-General will be leaving in a few minutes, but thank you for staying for a little bit.

As we reflect on our theme, United for Peace and Human Rights, Safe Homes for All, we asked individuals and communities across continents what a safe home means to them. Here are their responses.

I feel, I feel secure. and you have the abundance of everything you need to live a prosperous life.

For me, a safe home means having a place where my family and I can feel calm and protected. We do not have to worry when it rains or when the wind is strong. Safe home means having clean water to drink, light, and a space where we can eat and rest together. When our home is safe, I can focus on more of my dreams and my training when I was at LP41, and I can more focus on building my future. A safe home must be conducive to the provision of positive psychological atmosphere for the inhabitants and the neighbors around that home. Thank you.

And so I think of the theme of this year, and immediately I think of who we accompany. en personas que han llegado a esas ciudades buscando oportunidades de habitarla. Y para nosotras, arraigo quiere decir tener un hogar sólido, seguro que puedas considerar un hogar y del cual no temas ser desalojada. Y yo creo que todas han sido juzgadas por los espacios donde viven o el trabajo que hacen o cómo llevan vestidas a sus hijas e hijos. Y me planteo como ciudadana,

Speaker brings the power of lived experience.

Joining us from Leuven, Belgium, Saskia Jacobs is a devoted mother of two who has been an active advocate with ATD Fourth World since 2016. As an expert on poverty by experience, Saskia contributes across Belgian federal poverty dialogue groups, European working groups on the right to family life, and local initiatives like the Housing First project in Leuven, a passionate voice for social, economic, and environmental justice. She works tirelessly to ensure that housing is recognized as a fundamental right. Saskia, thank you for being with us today. The floor is yours.

Hello. My name is Saskia Jacobs. I'm a mother of two adult children and resident of Leuven, the oldest university city in Belgium, a historic community of approximately 105,000 habitants. Each academic year between October and June, around 80,000 students join our city. This strong temporary population growth, combined with strict austerity measures by the European Union, increased the pressure on our housing market. As a result, more and more people are unable to find an affordable house or a true home. In theory, human rights are protected in Belgium. Article 23 of the Belgian Constitution recognizes the right to a dignified life, including the right to decent housing. But practice reveals deep tensions. Because this right is so difficult to enforce, it often remains that letter. If even constitutional protections are weakened by the government, we risk seeing fewer rights and more harsh conditions attached to granting them. We see this systematic failure everywhere. In Belgium, new refugees have the legal right to shelter, but because places are lacking, children are forced to sleep on the streets. Social housing exists, but it is underfunded and underbuilt. Those who have the right to housing but lack access are forced onto the private market, paying more than two-thirds of their income just to have a house. We see it regionally too, such as in Barcelona, Spain, where two-thirds of all rentable spaces in the city centre are swallowed up by hotels and short-term rentals, locking young people out of renting affordable in their own hometown. This capitalist housing crisis is dismantling solidarity, redistribution, and equal treatment. A house is a starting point of a stable life. It is a place to come home to, to live in peace, to stay healthy, and to grow freely. Safe housing is not a luxury. It's a fundamental condition for human dignity and full participation in society. For me, peace and human rights are the absolute foundation of a dignified life. Without peace, it is impossible to build lasting happiness, personal growth, or prosperity. Peace makes it possible to redirect our shared resources to what truly matters. combating poverty, strengthening health care, and guaranteeing housing. Today, too much money is still spent on armaments, maintaining rigid power structures and conflicts that set people against one another. Peace is the oxygen for humanity. Human rights are the first building blocks. We must look to successful examples, too. such as in where where sorry we must look to successful examples too where the government choose to invest in housing such as in Finland where the housing first practice shows that you need a secure place to live before you can build your life and overcome other challenges there you see that homelessness is almost eradicated we need more social housing that is dignified and accessible to all. We must stop letting the housing market dictate human worth. Thank you for listening, and remember, safe housing first.

Thank you, Saskia. for reminding us that true peace means redirecting our shared resources away from weapons and armaments and towards what matters most, providing social protection, combating poverty, building resilient communities, and guaranteeing adequate housing for all.

Our next speaker is a longtime advocate, community leader, and proud father from Long Island, New York. Patrick Lubin, first involved with ATD Fourth World in 2015, Patrick is no stranger to the United Nations, having first spoken here on October 17th in 2016, and again at a UN conference on homelessness in 2018. Patrick's advocacy is driven by a powerful purpose. to represent his brothers and sisters and show that there is hope. Mr. Lubin, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Tony. Good afternoon, everybody. My name is Patrick Lubin. I'm French and American. I have lived in the United States for over 30 years. I currently live in Island Park on Long Island in New York. New York is facing a huge housing crisis, as are many other places in the U.S. and around the world. To address this extremely serious situation, we must reframe the search for solution by recognizing that housing is a right that's non-negotiable. No one should be excluded. People who have endured a temporary housing system for years have had to deal with additional health problems. I know what I'm talking about because for the past eight years, I've been living in a motel in the room paid for by social services. It is the only solution I have been offered after four years of having to survive on the street on my own. It's impossible to find peace of mind when you're surrounded by drugs and insecurity. What makes it worse is having to regularly renew your emergency housing eligibility. I had to renew it every week for six years, living with the constant anxiety of not knowing if it would be renewed. At any moment, I could have found myself again on the street because even though I always obeyed the law, there was no guarantee that my eligibility would be renewed. Because of the hardship I went through, I lost my sense of coordination, and my memory and my logical thinking were affected. It took me a long time to regain my strength. As an electronic technician, I was able to develop strategies to survive those years on the streets before finally obtaining a room in the motel. But unfortunately, I was unable to return to work. Just because you don't have a job doesn't mean we should be denying housing a place where being able to sleep peacefully, cook, and feel comfortable. My health won't totally improve until I have an apartment. That's why we are calling for the implementation of the right to housing for all. This means recognizing the right to live somewhere safe, peaceful, and dignified, a place where you can rediscover your joy in life. What does safe homes for all mean to me? Housing must meet safety standards. It also means having access to essential services such as gas, electricity, heating, and water. The cost of housing should not prevent you from accessing all the rights, including the right to proper nutrition. Your housing must be decent and livable. In other words, it must not endanger your physical and mental health. You should live in the place that is good for your health. Housing must also be located in suitable area. We do not want area that are isolated, dangerous, and where we can't find a FT supermarket. In other words, we are talking about the right to housing for everyone without discrimination or racism. In this sense, we don't want any more promises or theory. Many people are dying because of poverty due to a lack of proper housing, and not enough is being done to end it. Even worst, we are treated like a criminal, so we are subjected to various kind of punishment. We are made to run around in circles. without consideration or respect. This violates our dignity. We want to see real action. Social services need to work more closely with their client to help them find an apartment. And in this regard, they must make it a priority to provide dignified housing to people who have been homeless for a long time. But overcoming poverty and housing injustices is a collective responsibility that goes beyond social services. That's the meaning of the day. I call on everyone, association, organization, agencies, churches, temple, mosque, synagogue, and citizen to partner with us in overcoming recent injustices. Thank you for listening to my statement. I love you all. May God bless you all.

Thank you, Patrick, for that passionate, eloquent, and courageous testimony, and reminding us that housing is a non-negotiable right, human right. Your call for real action and a collective commitment to ending the housing injustices leaves us deeply motivated to take action.

We will now have a musical performance by Laura Iniesta, who will sing "Somewhere" from the West Side Story, accompanied by McQuay Morton. Laura Anista has studied music in several countries, including France, Guatemala, and Spain. She is currently in her junior year of college at the New School in New York City, pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in jazz and contemporary vocal performance. She has previously performed at the United Nations headquarters in New York City and the National Auditorium of Music in Madrid, Spain. Laura, 麦克.

Unfortunately, this microphone will not be amplified in the room as the sound will go directly to the broadcast. I will try my best to sing loudly. Oh, it is amplified. Wonderful. Forget what I just said. Thank you so much. There's a place for us Somewhere a place for us Peace and quiet and open air Wait for us somewhere There's a time for us A time and place for us Time together with time to spare Time to learn, time to care Someday, somewhere We'll find a new way of living We'll find a way of forgiving There's a place for us A time and place for us Hold my hand and we're halfway there Hold my hand and I'll take you there Someday, somewhere Somewhere, somewhere We'll find a new way of living We'll find a way of forgiving Somewhere There's a place for us time and place for us Hold my hand and we're halfway there Hold my hand and I'll take you there somehow, someday, somewhere Somehow, someday, somewhere Somehow, someday, somewhere.

Thank you, Laura and McQuay, for that beautiful and moving performance from West Side Story. Your incredible artistry reminds us of the capacity of the human spirit and our shared longing for a safe, welcoming home that echoed through every note. Thank you again. I'd like to make one announcement. You will have an earpiece near your desk. If you want to hear the speakers louder and, you know, it really amplified Laura's singing as well, please wear it. Thank you. It's channel one and you can increase the volume. Over to you.

While we had hoped to welcome all of our speakers in person, visa hurdles unfortunately prevented some of our international colleagues from traveling to New York. However, we are deeply grateful that our next speaker has shared his message with us through a pre-recorded video. Joining us from Bukavu in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Jean Mihigo Kaboyi is a trained Mason, a dedicated husband and father of four, and an active member of ATD Fourth World's Buribiba Solidarity Families group. Since 2013, John has channeled his masonry skills and community spirit into local solidarity projects, proving that when people pool their resources and believe in their collective power, they can transform both their material conditions and their mindsets. Please direct your attention to the screens as we share John's message. English subtitles will be provided.

Me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me. Family, and you, and you, and you, and you, and you, and Wakua na maali ambapo familia nzima inaweza kujiishi salama na ulinwa. Zimetuone shapia ku saidiyana na kupokea msada kutoka wajami ni mambo yamsingi sana wakati wa shida. Hadisi hii inaone shapuili wajami yetu yote hapabukavu. mujiwe tu unejenga kweni mlima mkari wakati wanvuo kubwa familia nyingi huiishi kwa hofu sababu yanpromoko ya udongo nam wanguka wanyumba wengi wana hangai kaku ripaku dia nyumba kupata nyumba inayofa familia zao au ku karabati nyumba zilizoa aribika what I do with an alcohol safe or a salama vinayaka tika me kowa yakivu kas kasini na kusini dimefanya my family a zilizoh kimbia watcha viji via on a kutafuta usalama kati kamita maraningi familia easy as in a chagoo ya kuishi nandugu au kuishi katika mazinjera ma gunu sana ari hizi zinaleta muzigo mkuwa sana kwa familia zinazoa pokeya sababu ya pato ya ndogo sana watu wachamile tu wanakubiliwa na kuku kaju mkuwa waki zabinadam ikiwa nipamoja naku fokuzwa na nguvu kweni makazi ao copotiza, ari biwa, wamarizao, viti, shok, gassia, na ukosefu, wamadi, safi, na umem, watoto wa familia zilizona, wazo mdogo, ndio wanatekese kazaik, vita, dinapoanza, familia, zine, lazimika, kuwa chanyumba zao ili kuokoa maisha yao na hicho kupoteza ma zao ukose fugu ni usalama unaleta hofu kuba na kutokua na urakika wamaish na hivi kuzizua familia kudiinsi kwele zipo numali ata hivi katika nyakati hizi za changamoto jamii yetu hai kaitu bila kufanya kitu kupitia atedeka wana familia wana uchirikiyana kufanya ziara za kusikiliza wendide usaidia na kuhamasisha amani uvumilivu kueshinyan na kuisi pamoja kwa amani kupitia mradi wa usaidizi shanti de solidarité tunaungani shangu wazetu tukinofaika na ujuzi wa Ujenzi, Kazi na Miko na Vifa, tunavyo changi. Hili, wimari shakuta, zaifu, na kucarabati pa, na kuu, waki, shakua, hakuna familia inayo, achwa, bila, salama, kwaote, kwa upande wangu, inamaana, wamba, amani na haki za binadam zinanza kweni mahali salama pakuiishi nyumba si paa tu ni mahali ambako familia inayishi pamoja inalea watoto na inajinisi kulingwa nakujenga umojawao nyumba nisehemu yamsingi yaishima ya binadam usaidizi wamani my journey when you were not to wake high, like in the circle, in a machine, like a metaifa, lazima, ya chukue, hatua, zaidi, utakuwa, jambo, la, umuhimu, sana, kwe, kasera, zina, zofanya, iwe, raisi, kwa, familia, zina, zoi, shikuni, umaskini, kupata, nyumba, salama, na zabe, na fu. zija zoka tika mazingira yanayo kabili wanavita na umaskini tuna itaji kufikiria kwa pamoja kuhu su amani mba na ulin wa familia kujenga amani pia kuma anisha kweze shakila familia kwanamali salama ambapo ina wza kusema apa ni mba niku as.

Thank you, Sean. Thank you for your powerful words. We hear you and we honor your community's resilience, and we stand with you today and always.

Julissi is an inspiring mother of seven from Brooklyn. Brooklyn, New York, who first connected with ATD Fourth World through their Story Garden and Festival of Arts and Learning in 2019. Since then, she has become a passionate community advocate, contributing her voice to ATD's two-year participatory research process, building housing solutions to fight poverty through access to housing. Alongside her housing advocacy, Julissi is a dedicated doula supporting women through the vulnerable journey of childbirth, an active community organizer across East New York and Bed-Stuy who lives by her motto, "I want to be sure that we make a difference in the community." Julissi Acosta, the floor is yours.

Thank you. My name is Julissi Acosta, and I am from Honduras, but I grew up in Brownsville. Now my children are growing up in Brownsville and East New York. I want my children to be able to live in a free society just like me. There are a lot of systems and agencies that abuse people, but America is still free and we can work on those systems. And I would like my children to be able to live in that better place and that better society instead of going backwards. into the fourth century. I am a doula, which is more like a spiritual job. I heard a divine calling telling me, you're going to go back to the hospital and support mothers who give birth to their children. Someone said to me that when women give birth, they are the portal. So you have to be sure that you don't have any bad thoughts about the mother. Make sure that you are giving her all the positive vibes so that she can do her job. Make sure that, because this is a crucial moment for mothers. I am a mother of seven, so I know how important it is. I had good and bad experiences giving birth, and I know that mothers have to be able to focus on the baby and the birth, nothing else, and this is my job. When the theme of United for Peace, when I hear the theme of United for Peace and Human Rights, Safe Homes for All, I believe that human dignity means providing a safe place for everyone to be able to sleep. Me being a mother, I realize that sleep is a privilege. It really is. As a mother, you can't just sleep anymore. You have to make sure your children are safe before you're able to lay down and put your head to rest. And at the same time, if you don't sleep enough, you won't be the mother that you are meant to be because you will be exhausted. A lot of people cannot sleep because they don't have a home. They don't have a door to feel safe. Housing is a basic need. We need housing first. and then we will be able to feel free and safe. I grew up in NYCHA. Living in NYCHA, New York City Housing Authority, offers a safety net because you can live there for generations. If you have certified yearly, you're gonna be okay. But I know that there are people that cannot access that. I tell my children every day that we are so privileged. and to take care of our home. When I left home, my mom said, "I was able to get an apartment, why can't you?" In the 1990s, it was easy to get an apartment. Now it's hard. Thanks to the Human Resources Administration, I have a voucher, but there's a stipulation. If you don't find anything within two months, it's taken back. then you have to restart the process all over again. The agency had to approve it and the process was terrible and long. I and the landlord were constantly troubled by them. Initially, I thought it was a mistake. Because of that, I had to go back to the drawing table and wait more months. I felt like I was being sabotaged. It was very exhausting. This is so difficult unless you have a lawyer, but we can't afford one. You will have to be your own lawyer. You have to be advocating for yourself. And I fought and I'm tenacious. I'm a fighter. There was a woman working for the HRA. She was the one that pushed and said, we don't want more money. We just want Julissi to be housed. She cared more than the agency that was supposed to care. Throughout the years, I have known a lot of people living in shelters, like my sister who stayed almost two years. But you know they're always moving. Families have to go to a shelter for years in order to be able to get anything. They have to sometimes traumatize their own children because it can be traumatic. Not all shelters are nice. I met one of the families I support at the park. She bonded with my children and needed a place for her and her children to take a bath. She wanted to come to my house, but I just met her, so I told her, I'm so sorry. Is there anything I could do for you? She explained that her bathtub was experiencing a stoppage for weeks. At that moment, I thought, okay, I can't take her to my home, but what can I do for you? And I suggest that maybe we could go to the community pool together. My brain was looking for solutions because that's just how I am. Finally, the shelter sent a plumber to resolve the situation. They should have done it sooner. When I was feeling sabotage, I felt at war. It's like a game. They think I'm playing checkers, but I'm playing chess. I'm never rude, but I'm never giving up. I want families to know through all that although these agencies have been put in place to help you obtain housing, just know that you are responsible for making sure you are housed. This is your job. You and your family need to be housed, not this agency, not the delegates. Nobody else but you. Make sure you get housed. No one is going to do the job for you. I can tell you what I did. I can tell you the solutions I found, but you have to have your and find your own solutions. And of course, we will support you. This is how we can empower a person. We need people to love people. Love makes the difference. Thank you.

Thank you so much, Julissi, for highlighting the challenges of acquiring housing and navigating bureaucratic housing systems, which requires special persistence and your spiritual strength and fierce self-advocacy, proving that communities must stand together. Because, as you mentioned so beautifully, love and determination can prevail and make all that difference.

This is my co-host. I've been waiting for her to arrive so we could get this party underway. Claudia Fuentes Julio is a diplomat and scholar with over two decades of experience in multilateral diplomacy, international relations, and human rights. Prior to assuming her current role, heading the UN Human Rights Office in New York in June 2026, She served from 2022 to 2026 as the permanent representative of Chile to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva. Throughout her career, Ms. Fuentes Julio has held numerous senior leadership positions across multilateral forums. Ms. Claudia, the floor is yours.

Thank you so much. Hello, everyone. Dear friends. Let me begin by saying how happy I am to see so many children here. Let's have applause, the whole line. This is the kind of event that we should do more here at the UN because we work for you, the children. So I'm really happy to have you. And a baby here in the podium, you should give her the-- she likes the gavel. So, yeah. She will be the next chair, probably, in the near future. So let me begin with the voices we just heard, from Jen in Bukavu, from in the video, to Saskia in Leuven, to Patrick and Julissi here in New York. We have heard how conflict displacement, rising housing cost, and poverty can deprive people of a safe and a stable home. We have also heard about the solidarity and resistance of individuals and communities that are very determined to change this reality. Their experience may differ, but they share a common message. A safe home is a foundation for dignity, security, and belonging. And I have said this many times before, but housing is not a privilege. Housing is a human right. Homelessness is an affront to human dignity and a serious deprivation of the right to adequate housing and other human rights. The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has made clear that evictions must not leave vulnerable people and families homeless. It has underscored in several individual cases under the Optional Protocol to the International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights that before ordering an eviction that may render people homeless, judges must ensure that authorities are aware of the situation and adopt measures to provide alternative housing to vulnerable persons and families. The right to housing applies at all times, in times of peace as well as violent conflict, where displacement and destruction continue to drive millions from their homes. Poverty is also a deprivation of rights, choices, security, and power, and both a cause and a consequence of human rights violations. These challenges are unfolding against a backdrop of deep inequality. The 2026 Sustainable Development Goals report tell us that the progress towards eradicating extreme poverty has stalled. One in 10 people still live in extreme poverty, surviving on less than $3 a day. But poverty and inequality are not simply outcomes of scarcity. They are also shaped by political decisions. They reflect decisions about budget, taxations, and social protections, whether housing is treated as an investment or a right, and whether people living in poverty have a voice. Human rights help us make those decisions differently. Let me highlight three imperatives. First, respond to homelessness without housing. and support, not punishment. People cannot and should not be punished out of poverty. A fine does not provide a home. An arrest does not end homelessness. Yet, many homeless people are still penalized for acts of survival in public spaces. Such criminalization must end. We must instead invest in affordable housing, social protections, and essential services. Second, make the right to housing real through the right economic policies. A home is not truly affordable if paying for it means going without food, medicine, water, or other necessities. This is at the heart of what the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights' human rights economy means. is putting dignity, equality, participation, and human rights at the center of the economic decision making. Economic choices are human right choices. Our office is working with governments across regions to connect economic policy with investment in rights and greater participation by right holders. Third, put people and their rights at the center. People experiencing poverty are not objects of policy. They are right holders and agents of change. Their lived experience tell us where system fail, where policies exclude, and what needs to change. Through Human Rights Cities, our office is working to bring human rights closer to these everyday decisions and to strengthen dialogue between communities and local authorities. And through the Global Alliance for Human Rights, we aim at deepening cooperation among governments, cities, civil society, and communities, translating human rights principles into concrete economic and social policies. Dear friends, nearly four decades ago, this commemoration began with people experiencing extreme poverty coming together to be heard. Their voices must continue to guide us. Their testimonies are not simply account of hardship. They are a call to action. Let us answer the call by building economies that serve people, cities where dignity does not depend on income, and communities where everyone has a safe and a secure place that they can call a home. Thank you so much.

Thank you very much, Ms. Fuentes, for reminding us that a safe home is a foundation for living in human dignity, and that the right to housing prevails, whether the community is at time of peace or at a time of war. You also shared the grim reality that the efforts to alleviate extreme poverty seem to have stalled. We know what needs to be done, and hopefully there will be enough political will to get things moving again. And then finally, those important imperatives that you highlighted. Thank you very much for this important message.

Yes, thank you. Our next speaker, Mr. Remy C. H. Chiping, Deputy Director of the UN Habitat Liaison Office in New York, with over 20 years of experience in urban planning, policy development, and multilateral diplomacy. Mr. C. H. Chiping leads UN Habitat's engagement with governments, the UN system, and civil society to drive sustainable blocks to drive sustainable urbanization and accelerate progress on SDG 11 and related goals. Welcome, Remy CH.

Thank you very much. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, as we mark the 34th edition of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, During this month of Urban October, we are reminded that poverty is not only a lack of income. In fact, the theme of the Urban October focuses on adequate housing for all, regenerating the city, adequate housing for all. This means that for us at UN-Habitat, we are very pleased to see the convergence that indeed Housing is not necessarily only linked to poverty, it's also a lack of rights, opportunities, security, dignity. We have heard and we all know that these days, conflicts, violence, displacement, and inequality continue to affect millions of people. For us, working in cities, We see these challenges as compounded by rapid and poorly managed urbanization and deficit of people at the center of development. The result is deeper exclusion and fewer opportunities for those who are already left behind. Today, I would like to focus on one fundamental human right, the right to adequate housing. Adequate housing remains beyond the reach of a billion of people. We estimate at UN-Habitat that 1.1 billion people live in informal settlements or slum-like conditions. Many more face compounded challenges, as I mentioned, homelessness, displacement, unaffordable housing. Housing means more than a roof over our head, as was stated earlier. For us, we see a housing as an ecosystem that should actually take into account security of tenure, affordability, access to all type of services and infrastructure, accessibility, safety, and so on. So it's a compounded system. Without adequate housing, we all know health suffers. We heard earlier, education is disrupted, employment becomes more difficult, participation in community activities and life is limited, social cohesion is weakened. Therefore, my dear friends, the right to housing reminds us that all human rights are interconnected. When families are forcibly evicted, rights are violated. When residents of informal settlements are excluded from decisions affecting their communities, affecting themselves, rights are denied. When people face discrimination in access to housing, land, services, inequality becomes entrenched. At the same time, housing is increasingly being treated as a financial asset rather than a social good. This contributes to rising costs, displacement, hopelessness, and a growing informality. At UN-Habitat, we are very clear. When housing becomes unaffordable, poverty deepens. Markets, don't get me wrong, they have their role to play. But let me say this, human rights must guide housing, land, urban development policies. Development cannot be measured by economic growth alone. It must be measured by whether people can live in dignity, access to adequate housing, and enjoy equal opportunities. Poverty persists not because people have failed, Poverty persists, in our view, because barriers and inequalities continue to exclude millions of people. There can be no effective poverty eradication where conflict, crime, and insecurity prevail. Likewise, there can be no sustainable peace without inclusion, opportunity, and adequate housing. Our response must therefore be integrated. We must reaffirm that housing is a human right. We must strengthen protection against forced eviction, discrimination, homelessness, and insecurity of tenure. We must invest in housing affordability, social protection, public services, and peaceful and inclusive communities. We must ensure that people experiencing poverty are heard and included in decisions that affect them. Their voices are not loud enough or heard enough. Let this commemoration renew our commitment to human rights, to social justice, and dignity for all of us. For when we protect the rights to adequate housing, we protect human dignity. When we advance human rights, we strengthen peace. And when we do both, we move closer to a world free from poverty. I thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Siya Chipping. for reminding us that housing is more than just a roof over our heads. Rather, it's an ecosystem that we need to be investing in, one where all human rights are interconnected. And unless we can assure these rights, we will not have sustained peace. So it's all connected, and I think it rests on again, that political will to make it happen. Thank you.

Marcello LaFleur is a senior economic affairs officer at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the UN DISA, with extensive expertise in economic development, international trade, labor markets, and microeconomic policy. and he will briefly share with us the recently published report, the World Social Report. Sir, the floor is yours.

Thank you, Bonnie. Thank you, Thuni. Appreciate it. Thank you, everybody. Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you to those of you who shared your experiences today. They mean a lot to us. Your voices belong at the center of the discussion and the discussions that follow. Safe Homes for All express a hope everyone can understand. A place to rest without fear. Where children can grow, where we can care for one another and feel that we belong. A secure home helps us build a future. And when that security is threatened, staying in school, keeping a job and maintaining our health become harder. For people living with poverty, holding on to that stability can take enormous effort. Climate change is adding to those pressures. Floods can destroy a home in hours. Extreme heat can make it dangerous to remain inside. Storms can damage the water, electricity, and transports that a neighborhood depends on. People can lose their livelihoods, savings, and the neighbors they rely on. Families may be forced to move, uncertain where they can go or how they will rebuild. Those with the fewest resources often face the hardest recovery. Without support, a disaster can deepen poverty for years. That's why inclusion matters. It means people have the means to protect themselves, access support and rebuild. Their circumstances are understood and their knowledge shapes the response. The World Social Report 2026, launched yesterday, calls for inclusion at the center of the changes reshaping our world. New technologies, changing economies, and clean energy offer possibilities for better lives. But whether those possibilities reach everyone depends on our choices. We need large paradigm shifts in how we understand progress, make decisions, and act. First, to judge progress by what it makes possible in people's lives. Alongside growth, ask whether families can afford a safe home, Whether services reach their neighborhoods and whether tomorrow holds greater security. These questions must guide investment from the beginning. Second, give people experiencing poverty the power to shape the solutions for them. They know where a system fails and where it fails to reach them and which barriers are overlooked. Their knowledge should influence housing policy, climate adaptation, and essential services. Participation must change decisions. Third, to act before hardship becomes catastrophe. A family should not have to lose its home before help arrives. Social protection, affordable housing and resilient infrastructure give people the security to withstand change. They strengthen whole communities. Public institutions must make that security possible. Civil society brings essential experience and commitment, and international cooperation must help countries and communities secure the resources that they need. Today calls us to listen and carry what we hear into action. Transformations are inevitable, but exclusion is not. Let us make safe homes for all a measure of our progress and a commitment that guides our decisions. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you, Marcello, for the overview of this important report and also inspiring us with your words. For those of you that wish to, you can access the full report on the UN DESA's website. And I strongly recommend that you do because it's only when we have all the information at our hands that we are able to understand the policies and then put the actions in place that are required. Thank you.

We would now like to ask his excellency, Ambassador Jerome Bonifant, permanent mission of France to the United Nations to offer a closing reflection. Ambassador Bonifant previously served as ambassador, permanent representative of France to the United Nations office in Geneva and international organizations in Switzerland since September 2021. At the same time, he served as the reporter general of the National Roundtable on Diplomacy, a wide-ranging consultation launched by the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron. He was also an advisor to Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, director of North Africa and Middle East Department, ambassador to Madrid, and ambassador to New Delhi. Your Excellency, the floor is yours.

And congratulations to those who organized this panel because the timing is absolutely impeccable. And I must praise the patience of the audience that has been with us all this time and say that I'm happy to be with Claudia, with whom we have been sharing some years in Geneva a couple of months ago. Well, everything has been said, and I must say that it is quite a pleasure for us in the French mission to have this partnership with ATD Fourth World and the UN in order to commemorate this day of fight against poverty, eradication of poverty. It is a tradition for France to fight against poverty because it is the third letter of our triptych,. Fraternity means the reality of our common destiny and means that we all in the French Republic are supposed to believe in the equal dignity of all the people who live on our earth. And this is word, of course. This is a principle, of course. But this has to shape policies. And this has to shape policies because there is a strange paradox in our world. Our world has never been as rich as it is now. There has never been so much money on Earth as there is now. There has never been so many countries collectively going out of poverty And still there remains a significant proportion of our populations that are in poverty and sometimes in extreme poverty. And this paradox is a scandal against which we have to fight in order to make the planet more livable and in order to fulfill the commitment of the UN Charter with the people, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, of the Pact on Social, Economic, and Cultural Rights, and of so many of the laws of the countries of you people in this room. Therefore, it is a matter of political commitment, both national, regional, and international, to fight for the eradication of poverty. It is a matter of human dignity for each. It is a matter also of social stability and of human progress collectively. Those work together. And it is also a matter for peace, because it is clear that when people are not given properly the opportunities to which they can legitimately hope for, then they go to other fields of fulfillment of their hopes. We are focusing today on the right to a dignified home. And here, there has to be a combination. In France, for example, we have a law that establishes the right to housing. And making it a right obliges public authorities to mobilize, whether at the national, at the municipal level, to construct social policies that will give people access to a decent home. It is far from 100% correct. And therefore, there has also to be private solidarity to be gathered, associations, private initiatives, churches and other religious movements, people animated by ideals of solidarity and compassion, gather together in order to make things possible. And then you have to have also, and as well, people in poverty, themselves empowering each other, themselves fighting for their rights, themselves fighting for solutions. I might share here a memory that never left me. I started my career in India in 1986. And in those days in New Delhi, there were slums everywhere. And I remember a very, very, very aggressive argument with the wife of my ambassador of that time. I was young, I was 25, and I was not very well behaved that day. And she came back from the visit of a slum in which I had accompanied them, and she said, It was a wonderful lesson of life. And I told her, how can you say that? It was a horrible, shameful human experience to see people living in those conditions. And she told me, you don't understand. The lesson of life is that the people in this slum are fighting for dignity. that the people of this slum know how to educate their children, that the people of this slum are fully embodied, empowered citizens. And don't forget that. This reality is not acceptable politically and socially, but those people are full-fledged citizens who are fighting for their rights and who are 100% living in dignity. And those two realities have always remained in my mind as a civil servant, that on the one side, there is a reality that is unacceptable, which is the reality of extreme poverty. But on the other side, there are people who are full citizens of our communities and who are fighting by themselves for their rights. And therefore, I am very happy that ATD Fourth World, Carre Monde, as we say in French, is here with us and is organizing the commemoration of this day. I will conclude simply by saying, like Claudia said before, that it is nice to have in this room not only government delegates, but with the people who are the people for whom the UN have been created. Therefore, I thank very much Nastasia, who is there of it in the mission who has helped preparing this day. I thank the participant of the panel, and I thank you all for being committed to this right for housing and to this fight for eradication of poverty. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Ambassador, for France's role and your support for the commemoration of this day every year, and your personal commitment to make our planet more livable, stable, and peaceful. Thank you.

Thank you to all of the speakers for sharing their experiences today. We will carry your words with us, asking us to mobilize the necessary will, reject discrimination, and stand united to ensure safe homes and human rights for all. Thank you, Laura and McQuay, for bringing us together with the common language of music. And we would also like to thank everyone for watching online and for being here in person. and hope that you are able to join us for the reception at ATD Fourth World House. The address is displayed on the screen.

Thank you also to all the sponsors of this day, the Permanent Mission of France, UN DESA, UNHCR, UN Habitat, the Baha'i International Community, LP4Y, Maine, and the ATD International Committee for October 17th. I would also like to say a special thanks to the team, which is headed by Terry. Terry, please stand. That worked so hard to make this day possible. We will now proceed to the commemorative stone honoring the victims of extreme poverty in the UN garden in the North Lawn. Please leave this room the way you came in. Ushers will direct you to the garden as we leave the room. And the panelists are asked to stay back for a group photograph. Thank you.