Sustainable Development Agenda to include goal on multidimensional poverty

Goal 1 of the Sustainable Development Goals proposes to reduce poverty in all its dimensions

A goal to reduce multidimensional poverty has been accepted as part of the sustainable development agenda to be adopted by the UN in September 2015. 193 governments announced their consensus on the agenda on Sunday 2 August.  Their shared vision for the future of sustainable development, which includes 17 goals and 169 targets, is described in the document “Transforming our world: the 2030 agenda for sustainable development”.

The declaration of the 193 countries reads:

“We recognise that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development”.

“We are determined to end poverty and hunger, in all their forms and dimensions, and to ensure that all human beings can fulfil their potential in dignity and equality and in a healthy environment”.

The goal:

Goal 1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere

Goal 1.2. By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions.

Measuring progress

To monitor progress towards the goal, OPHI and the Multidimensional Poverty Peer Network (MPPN) are calling for an integrated measure of multidimensional poverty – the Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) 2015+ – to be included as an indicator in the SDGs.

The Global MPI 2015+ would reflect the overlapping disadvantages that each poor person experiences at the same time – this could include, for example, poor sanitation, malnutrition, gender discrimination, poor quality of work, or violence. It could be broken down to show what poverty is like in different areas of a country, or among different groups of the population, enabling governments to better target their resources and combat poverty more effectively.

Further information

Read more about the consensus on the Sustainable Development Agenda and see a copy of the draft agreement for adoption.

Find out more about the Global MPI 2015+ and governments that have already adopted official national measures of multidimensional poverty.