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Poverty The Greatest Threat to Peace

31 October 2004

Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon says poverty remains the greatest threat to peace in the 21st century.

In a statement issued on 17 October 2004 to mark International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, the Secretary-General said: "Without greater equity in standards of living, how can we ever hope to live in a secure and peaceful world?"

He noted that, in the Commonwealth alone, 14 of the 43 countries for which data is available are expected to fall short of realising the global poverty target.

"To meet the first Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of halving the number of people living on a dollar a day, we must address human development in its fullest sense. This must include protecting the natural resource base for development and ensuring, through effective and equitable institutions, that the poor can participate fully in their own development.

"On this Day, let us not just spare a thought for the poor of the Commonwealth and the world. Let us agree that poverty demeans us all, that it threatens everyone's future and that what world leaders promised at the dawn of this millennium must be realised for the sake of us all."

Mr McKinnon stressed that achievement of the benchmark MDGs on income, hunger, shelter, water, sanitation, health and education required a real display of political will. A supportive economic framework had to be created for poor and vulnerable countries to enable them to take advantage of the opportunities offered by trade, technology and global communication. Meeting international commitments on aid and debt -- including greater debt relief -- was critical in this regard. 

He said developing countries must be given adequate access to the markets of industrial and other countries, and to each other's markets. They required support in addressing the short-term costs of expanding their markets, nurturing competition and disseminating knowledge. He said priority must be given to assist young people, such as the Commonwealth Youth Programme's credit scheme for young entrepreneurs that has produced over 100 new businesses in two years. Efforts must also continue, he said, in striving for genuine economic empowerment for women.

The Secretary-General emphasised: "International Days to highlight particular causes … help keep the goal firmly in sight. But we would be failing in our duty if we were not to move from promises to implementation, from platitudes to resolute action."