The NGO Sub-Committee for the Eradication of Poverty was founded on October 13, 1999, by members of the NGO Committee for Social Development, to aid the United Nations in working toward the pillar of the World Summit for Social Development Copenhagen 1995 on eradication of poverty: “Eradicating poverty in the world, through decisive national actions and international cooperation, as an ethical, social, political and economic imperative.”  The Sub-Committee chose to focus on human poverty, which is measured not only by economic indicators, but by indicators related to health, education, access to water, etc. The Sub-Committee has authored numerous position papers for UN conferences, has maintained dialogue with the UN Secretariat and with government representatives at the UN, and has sponsored events at the UN for young people to speak about their role in fighting poverty, especially those living in poverty. The Sub-Committee helpsto promote and participates in commemorating the International Day for Eradication of Poverty- October 17th.  

NGO Subcommittee for the Eradication of Poverty 

Annual report   May 2012- April 2013

Subcommittee members On average 22 members participate in the monthly meetings. Twenty six member organizations have paid their dues during the reporting period.

Core Group The reporting period began with members comprising of Jean Stoner, Cecile Meyer, Steve O’Neil, Tom Brennan, Cristina Diez, Winifred Doherty and Fatima Rodrigo; From July 2012 onwards the core group members are the latter four.

Agenda for the year Social Protection Floor; Responding to the invitation by the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on rights based approach to participation of people living in poverty; Guiding Principles on Human Rights and Extreme Poverty; International Day for the Eradication of Poverty; Post 2015 Global Development Agenda; Resolution on the UN Second Decade for Poverty Eradication; GA Resolutions on Poverty Eradication

Outcomes

Meetings:

  • Other than May, June 2012 and February 2013, regular monthly meeting of the membership took place either in the offices of Baha’i, Salvation Army or in Church Centre. We express our gratitude to all who facilitate the meeting venue.   
  • Following some months of conversation on the reorganization of the Subcommittee, the core group was dissolved. A proposal was put forth during the July meeting of the NGO Committee for Social Development for its continuity.  Sufficient members showed interest in continuing and former members of the Core Group agreed to re-convene the meetings.
  • An updated version of Vision, Goals, Strategies 2012-2015 was approved by the subcommittee members in September.

The Working Group on Poverty and Climate Change organized a DPI event on Poverty and Climate Change.  At the November meeting the group decided not to meet on a regular basis.  The priority of the group is constituent education.  Jean Stoner will continue to keep the website page update on the connection between poverty and climate change.

Educational sessions: Three session were held (i) on ‘ILO Recommendations 202’ by Griet Cattaert, ILO (ii)  ‘NGOs’ role in furthering the Guiding Principles on Human Rights and Extreme Poverty among our constituencies’ by Cristina Diez, ATD Fourth World and (iii) Update on the Post 2015 Agenda  with Lysa John, Head of Outreach for the High Level Panel Secretariat.

Advocacy:

  • Post 2015 Global Development Agenda A position paper was submitted at the website www.beyond2015.org and the same was distributed widely to the UN Member States and the UN Agencies. The committee members submitted an input to the online consultation on ‘Growth and Employment on January 31, 2013
  • Social Protection Floor (SPF) In consultation with ILO, the subcommittee members engaged in advocacy work to further the agenda on SPF at the UN by having conversation with interested Missions, drafted points of recommendation and distributed them to member state delegates in the 2nd Committee during their discussion of the resolution on the Second Decade for the Eradication of Poverty, and organising a side event during CSocD 2013. Winifred is one of the core team members of the Geneva based NGO Coalition on SPF and was invited for their meeting in April 2013. Margaret Mayce, Chair of the NGO Committee for Social Development attended the meeting on Winifred’s behalf.  A number of the subcommittee members are members of this NGO Coalition. The subcommittee is now engaged in the process of advocating for a GA resolution on SPF.     
  • Rights based approach to participation of people living in poverty In response to the invitation by the OHCHR, the subcommittee carried out a global survey on the theme to engage their constituency. 168 responses were received from 59 countries. The collated report had been submitted to the OHCHR, a summary of the report had been printed and widely distributed at the UN and the same was presented during a side event during the CSocD 2013. Both the reports and  a PowerPoint are available in the webpage of the Subcommittee  http://www.ngosocdev.net/index.php/sub-committee-on-poverty-eradication/
  • Guiding Principles on Human Rights and Extreme Poverty (GP) The Guiding Principles was adopted by the Human Rights Council in December 2012. ATD Fourth World in partnership with the Missions of France and Peru organized a side event during CSocD 2013. The subcommittee in collaboration with the Geneva based NGOs is exploring the possibilities of engaging their constituency in furthering the agenda on GP at national level.

51st Session of the Commission for Social Development: The Subcommittee in collaboration with member organizations organized three side events titled:

  1. ‘Grass root Voices do have Choices: Human Rights and Participation= Empowerment’
  2. ‘Social Protection Floor - Implementation of ILO Recommendation 202 - A Tool towards Empowerment’
  3. ‘Promoting Empowerment through the Guiding Principles on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights’

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (IDEP): With minimum cooperation from the Subcommittee, the IDEP 2012 was commemorated significantly on the theme ‘Ending the Violence of Extreme Poverty: Promoting empowerment and building peace’ by ATD Fourth World in partnership with the Permanent Missions of France and Burkina Faso and International Organisation of  La Francophonie.  The active presence and participation of people living in poverty in the celebration is what makes the day special.     There was good representation from Member States also.

Submitted:  Core Group of Sub-Committee on Poverty Eradication

Date:   April 12, 2013