WORKING GROUP on POVERTY

The Poverty Working Group seeks to enhance UN capacity to monitor, assess and pursue progress in pursuing the Millennium Development Goals. Increased awareness of the Millennium Declaration and the MDG is also targeted.

Collaboration in Eradicating Poverty and Hunger

The Working Group on Poverty (UNDP as convenor, with FAO, ILO, UNFPA, UNICEF) undertook the following activities/initiatives in 2001:

• Policy dialogues and advocacy for poverty reduction.
  
  (a) A series of government, NGO and private sector meetings were held between August and December 2001 to discuss Financing for Development issues.
  
  (b) Rosario Manasan’s UNICEF-UNDP study on the 20/20 initiative presented at the Joint GO-Civil Society Forum on FfD on October 12, provides a basis for poverty reduction, thereby improving access to basic social services and identifying possible sources of funding and areas for policy action.
  
  (c) Support for National Microfinance Conference, held in November 2001, identified key capacity-building issues and gaps, and areas for policy and programme support.
  
  
• Study on 10 Years of UN Reponses to Poverty Eradication was undertaken.
  
  
• The first draft of the Millennium Development Goals Report, based on standard guidelines for all countries, was discussed with government and civil society. The final report will be published in March 2002. A case study on Financing for Development will be released.
  
  
• Information exchange and internal capacity-building was promoted in orientation/briefings to UN and donors by NEDA, NAPC, and NSO on poverty statistics and the new national antipoverty framework and programme of action.

Membership