Government of Spain calls for the adoption of a multidimensional poverty index post-2015

The Government of Spain has issued a statement calling for an index of multidimensional poverty to be incorporated in the new development agenda after 2015, when the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) expire.

The Government’s General Secretariat of International Cooperation for Development (SGCID) issued the statement following a workshop held in Salamanca on ‘Development with equality: Reducing inequality in middle-income countries’, in which OPHI took part. The workshop was hosted by the Government of Spain on 20-21 March 2014 and supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

‘Over recent years, the international community has made significant progress in the fight against absolute poverty thanks to the Millennium Development Goals momentum. However, the way in which this phenomenon has been measured up to now is unsatisfactory. The definition of poverty lines based solely on money income limits the perception of a phenomenon that is essentially multidimensional,’ the statement says.

‘Therefore, it is high time to move towards its richer and more comprehensive understanding. In this regard, the progress made by UNDP along with some academic institutions in order to define a multidimensional poverty measure is very positive. This index should be incorporated in the new agenda post-2015.’

SGCID issued the statement – titled ‘Salamanca Conclusions on Equitable Development‘ – with the aim of contributing to discussions on the post-2015 development agenda; most immediately, at the High Level meeting of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation, to be held in Mexico on 15-16 April, at which OPHI will also have a presence.