At the occasion of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on 17 October 2009, Japan Local Government Centre has joined hands with millions of people around the world in the initiative ‘Mayors in Action United Against Poverty’ an initiative of UN Millennium Campaign and UCLG acting together for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This action is a call from Mayors and Local Authorities worldwide to national governments to end extreme poverty by 2015.
Like hundreds of other towns and cities throughout the world, JLGC, a member of the world organisation United Cities and Local Governments, has embraced this initiative and has taken action to remind world leaders of their responsibility in keeping the promises made to the world’s poor.
With these actions, JLGC has contributed to enlarge the number of people around the world that are marking the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on 17 of October by taking action and raising their voices against poverty and for the achievement of the MDGs.
There has been some progress in the achievement of the MDGs in many parts of the world but this has been slow and patchy. Global mobilisation and media awareness is still crucial and Local Governments must be particularly involved, since it is at the local level that the problems addressed by the Millennium Development Goals have to be faced.
In 2010 at the United Nations in New York, progress against the promises to deliver on the MDGs will be assessed by the UN General Assembly. Now in 2009 it is crucial that Local Authorities take action and reassert their role as key actors and advocates in the fight against poverty, in order to be truly listened during the 2010 MDG Review.
JLGC is determined to contribute to these efforts and together with local authorities across the world demonstrate our collective commitment and the crucial importance of local action in confronting global problems by responding to the day-to-day realities of affected communities.
