FORUM: “United for Peace and Human Rights,” International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2026. Over 2.8 billion people worldwide face housing inadequacy, while an estimated 826 million live in extreme poverty. People already experiencing poverty and exclusion bear the greatest burden. Without a safe and stable home, access to health care, education, employment and participation in community life becomes far more difficult. Housing insecurity is not simply a question of shelter. Unsafe, unaffordable, overcrowded or insecure housing can reinforce poverty and exclusion, and undermine the enjoyment of other human rights. The 2026 concept note, therefore, calls for housing policies and systems that place human dignity, human rights and people's needs at their centre. For 2026, the Day calls for action to Make safe housing a human-rights priority in order to Respect, protect and progressively fulfil the right to adequate housing, and give a dignified standard of living the appropriate priority in public policy and budgeting. To Design policies with people experiencing poverty in order to Move beyond token consultation and involve people experiencing poverty and housing exclusion directly in the design, implementation and evaluation of housing policies, recognizing them as rights- and knowledge-holders and to Mobilize resources for safe homes for all in order to Strengthen public financing and other resources needed to expand access to safe, accessible and affordable housing while ensuring that no one is left behind.The 2026 observance focus also builds on the Doha Political Declaration (A/RES/80/5), adopted by the United Nations General Assembly following the Second World Summit for Social Development in November 2025. The Declaration reaffirms the right to an adequate standard of living - including adequate, safe, accessible and affordable housing; safe drinking water; and adequate sanitation and hygiene - while emphasizing action to address poverty in all its forms and dimensions. Ensuring safe and adequate housing supports progress across the Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 1 — No Poverty, SDG 10 — Reduced Inequalities, SDG 11 — Sustainable Cities and Communities and SDG 16 — Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. This year's theme recognizes that ending poverty is inseparable from protecting human rights, human dignity and peace. The observance focuses on “Safe Homes for All,” highlighting adequate housing as a foundation for security, participation and a life of dignity. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #Dignity4All, #PovertyDay, #17october, #EndingPoverty, #GlobalGoals, #SDG1.
Statement of the United NationsSecretary-General on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2026; October 17th.
Poverty is an affront to human dignity and a 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 ever 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.
The 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 cooperation and adequate financing. The Sevilla Commitment charts the path forward. We must reform the international financial architecture to make it more inclusive, representative, and responsive to the needs of developing countries.
The resources and knowledge exist. On this International Day, let us mobilize the political will and investments needed to ensure everyone has a safe home, and the opportunity to build a life of dignity, free from poverty.
António Guterres.
The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s Message is Available in English | Français | Español | Русский | عربي | 汉语,
EVENTS:This year marks the 39th anniversary of the World Day to Overcome Extreme Poverty and the 34nd edition of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. During the day; We will honor the millions of people suffering from poverty and their daily courage and recognize the essential global solidarity and shared responsibility we hold to eradicate poverty and combat all forms of discrimination. More information about initiatives, events and activities to mark October 17 around the world can be found at UNDESA and overcoming poverty website.
On Saturday, October 17th, a virtual event will be held from the United Nations Headquarters to mark the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2026 and to amplify the voices, experiences, and expertise of people living in poverty rather than designing policies merely for them. Get the 2026 IDEP Concept Note, the Draft Programme, the Speaker Biographies and Register to participate!
UMBRELLA THEME – UNITED FOR PEACE AND HUMAN RIGHTS.
People experiencing poverty are at the heart of every October 17th commemoration and are the drivers in choosing
the global theme through a consultation conducted by the International Committee for October 17 and the Forum onOvercoming Poverty. The proposed umbrella theme for 2026–2028 emerging from the 2026 consultation is “United
for Peace and Human Rights,” – a timely theme that reflects the commitments made in Doha in 2025 and the
forthcoming milestone human rights anniversaries from 2026–2028.
In Doha in November 2025, Member States of the United Nations committed to take action to build a just, inclusive,
equitable, and sustainable world, addressing underlying and structural causes of poverty, social exclusion, and
insecurity in accordance with international law, including human rights obligations. Doha also affirmed that social
development and social justice are essential for peace and security and that they in turn cannot be obtained in the
absence of peace and security or in the absence of respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The forthcoming three years (2026–2028) mark milestone anniversaries, most notably the 60th anniversary of theInternational Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and the I-60th anniversary of the nternational Covenant on Civil andPolitical Rights (ICCPR) in 2026, the 40th anniversary of the October 17 commemorations in 2027 and the 80th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 2028. This context presents a unique opportunity to
highlight the foundational importance of human rights and advance the Doha Political Declaration grounded in human
rights obligations of states and that these obligations must take priority in policy decisions to achieve a just,
equitable, inclusive, and sustainable world.
2026 FOCUS: SAFE HOMES FOR ALL.
The year 2026 also marks the 50th anniversary of the Vancouver Declaration on Human Settlements in 1976 that
provided the first definition of ‘adequate shelter’ and recommendations for countries to achieve it. The more recent
Doha Political Declaration reaffirms the right to an adequate standard of living that includes adequate, safe,
accessible, and affordable housing and drinking water as well as adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene.
The Doha Political Declaration calls for housing policies that address the needs of persons in low-income
households, female-headed households, women, youth, older persons, persons with disabilities, those experiencing
homelessness, those living in poverty, and those in vulnerable situations. Given that this topic has not previously
been covered by IDEP, a focus on “Safe Homes for All” is proposed for 2026. The term “safe” represents peace and
security in a broad sense, including environmental considerations, and the term “home” transcends the physicality of
a structure to include s
AGENDA PROGRAMME
Friday, October 16, 2026 · United Nations Headquarters, New York.
PART 1 · 1:15 – 2: 30 P M - Venue: UNHQ Conference Room 4.
Brief introduction
Masters of Ceremony: Bani Dugal & Thunny Brown
Ms. Bjørg Sandkjær
Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination, UNDESA
Short video from around the world
Saskia Jacobs
ATD Fourth World Activist, Belgium
Patrick Lubin
ATD Fourth World Activist, New York
Musical performance: “Somewhere” from West Side Story
Sung by Laura Iniesta Mingot, McQuay Morton on piano
Jean Kabonyi
ATD Fourth World Activist, Democratic Republic of the Congo (video)
Julissy Acosta
ATD Fourth World Activist, New York
Claudia Fuentes Julio
Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Remy Sietchiping
Deputy Director of the UN-Habitat Liaison Office in New York
Marcelo Lafleur
Senior Economic Affairs Officer (UNDESA)
Ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont
Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations, for the closing remarks
Masters of Ceremony thank speakers and invite attendees to the North Garden.
PART 2 · 3:0 0 – 3:30 PM - Venue: UN Garden North Lawn,
Commemorative Stone in Honour of the Victims of Extreme Poverty
Masters of Ceremony welcome guests
Donald Lee
ATD Fourth World President
Reading of inscription on Stone in six UN languages by school children
Moment of silence
Musical performance: “Siyahamba”
Symbolic Gesture
Closing
Masters of Ceremony thank speakers and guests, invitation to reception at ATD Fourth World House, group photo.
PUBLICATION: The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2026 warns that progress towards ending extreme poverty has stalled. In 2026, some 826 million people — 10 per cent of the global population — still live in extreme poverty, with the burden increasingly concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa and fragile and conflict-affected countries. The report calls for targeted investment, stronger social protection and more inclusive economic opportunities to accelerate progress towards ending poverty. Read the Report and the SG's Progress Report in العربية | 中文 | English | Français | Русский | Español;
The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2026 shows that since their adoption in 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have delivered results at scale—expanding access to clean water, electricity, health care and digital connectivity for billions of people. With less than five years remaining to achieve the Goals, the report provides a candid assessment of progress: meaningful gains have been made across the SDGs, but they remain uneven and insufficient in the face of serious headwinds— from escalating conflicts, slowing global economic growth, climate change, rising debt burdens and declining official development assistance. Without a decisive push to rapidly scale up proven solutions, the promise of the 2030 Agenda risks slipping out of reach. The report emphasizes that the SDGs remain the world’s shared blueprint for peace, prosperity and sustainability and must be urgently returned to the centre of global decision-making. It identifies the priority actions needed to accelerate progress, including increased investment, strengthened international cooperation, expanded access to technology and data, a faster energy transition, greater gender equality, and renewed commitments to peace. The report underscores that the choices made over the next four years will determine not only whether the Goals are achieved by 2030, but also the well-being of people and the planet for generations to come
DATA VIZUALIZATION
.png "Proportion of the population living below $3.00 per day in 2021 PPP, withprojections in dotted lines, 2015–2030 (percentage)")
.png "Proportion of the population group covered by social protection, 2015 and 2023 (PERCENTAGE)")
.png "ODA grants for poverty reduction, 2015–2024 (billions of constant 2024 dollars)")
LIVESTREAM: The date of October 17th marks the observance the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (IDEP) and represents a powerful global platform to affirm the indivisibility of human rights. The 2026–2028 umbrella theme, United for Peace and Human Rights, responds to a world marked by rising armed conflict and persisting institutional violence against people in poverty. Peace requires justice, social protection, and democratic participation — not merely the absence of war. Watch the 2026 Observance of the international Day for the Eradication of Poverty!
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