Dr. LIU Junwen, Director General of International Poverty Reduction Center in China,
 
Distinguished guests, my colleagues from the United Nations, and dear friends,
 
Good afternoon.
 
On behalf of the United Nations Development Programme in China, I would like to thank our hosts the International Poverty Reduction Center in China, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the World Food Programme and the China Internet Information Center for their gracious invitation to speak here today.  
 
We have come to the end of an extremely productive, insightful and engaging series of sessions of dialogue and sharing of perspectives. 
 
I thank you for your strong commitment to this agenda.
 
As all of us are aware, in 2015, the global community came together in New York to adopt the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 
 
The world was united with a common aim to create a future for everyone.
 
The Sustainable Development Goals was to our north star for a world that is resilient, sustainable and inclusive and - one that leaves no one behind. 
 
As of last month, with seven years to go, only 15 per cent of the targets are on track and many are going in reverse.
 
Despite important progress, nearly 700 million people around the world still live in extreme poverty, living on less than $2.15 per day. 
The global extreme poverty rate actually rose from 8.4% in 2019[1] to 9.3% in 2022. 
 
UNDP estimates that over the past three years, poverty rates in poor countries have surged, with the number of additional individuals living on less than $3.65-a-day reaching 165 million by end of this year 
 
The entirety of these additional poor live in low - and lower-middle-income economies - with the poorest 20% in low-income countries suffering the most with their incomes still below the pre-pandemic levels in 2023. 
 
As indicated by Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator, and I quote:
 
“Countries that could invest in safety nets over the last three years have prevented a significant number of people from falling into poverty. 
 
In highly indebted countries, there is a correlation between high levels of debt, insufficient social spending, and an alarming increase in poverty rates. 
 
Today, 46 countries pay more than 10 percent of their general government revenue on net interest payments. 
 
Debt servicing is making it increasingly harder for countries to support their populations through investments in health, education and social protection.” 
 
The eradication of poverty remains one of the biggest challenges of our time. 
 
If we don’t take immediate action, almost 500 million people will still be living in extreme poverty in 2030. 
 
This is exactly - why global partnerships on poverty reduction are so crucial. 
 
The rise of poverty is not only a result of natural disasters, conflict, climate change but also inappropriate policy choices and at times – lacking the required financing and technical support. 
 
At the core of this challenge is the harsh and stark reminder that the eradication of poverty relies on sustainable and resilient socio-economic development that balances people and planet.
 
This cannot be done by governments alone. 
 
Businesses, financial institutions, academia, scientist, local authorities, community-based organizations, youth, and international development partners -   all have a critical role to play.
 
Only through meaningful and robust interventions which are grounded in the day to day realities of the communities we serve - can we achieve poverty reduction progress that is long-lasting. 
 
To this end, I would like to commend IPRCC’s strong commitment to contributing to exchanges to further strengthen global sharing of best practices and lessons learned. 
 
IPRCC’s thematic exchanges on poverty reduction that have been held annually for more than a decade have contributed to accelerating collaborative efforts and foster regional and global mutual learning and exchanges in poverty reduction.