New York, 22 October 2009

Mr. Chairman,

The Chinese Delegation associates itself with the statement by the representative of the Sudan on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

Mr. Chairman,

Eliminating poverty and achieving prosperity are shared dreams of mankind. They bear on the dignity and happiness of the human being and constitute important conditions for social progress. Over the years, thanks to the joint efforts of all countries, the international community has made some progress in achieving consensus and formulating strategies for poverty reduction. However, we must be fully aware that poverty is a persistent problem and, in spite of the hard work of several generations, people in quite a number of countries have yet to free themselves from its grip. The MDG objective of halving the population living on less than one dollar a day remains elusive for many countries. Moreover, the financial crisis that broke out last year has plunged the world into economic recession; the international community is still struggling for economic recovery. All this, plus the food and energy crises and climate change, has further hampered the poverty reduction efforts of the developing countries.

Poverty is caused by multiple factors--economical, social, historical, etc. It has been further aggravated by the inequitable old international political and economic order and the unbalanced development of globalization. The international community should take full advantage of the 2nd UN Decade for the Eradication of Poverty to adopt targeted policies and measures and enhance cooperation. Developed countries have the obligation and responsibility to provide help to developing countries by honoring their commitments in the fields of financial assistance, technological transfer, debt relief and trade. Developing countries on their part should continue to pursue their own efforts for economic development. The UN should play a leading and coordinating role and designate specific mechanisms to promote, finance and monitor the implementation of the 2nd UN Decade for the Eradication of Poverty. Business communities, civil society, women and youth groups should also play their respective roles in a joint effort to contribute to poverty reduction.

Mr. Chairman,

Elimination of poverty and common development of its people have always been the purposes and focus of work of the Chinese government. My go