Poverty eradication has been a core goal of the United Nations throughout its history—and the international community has made great strides in improving the lives of millions of people around the world.  

Together, we reached the MDG target with regard to extreme poverty—and we did it five years early.

However, while the global target has been reached, the progress has been uneven across regions and countries, and large numbers of people remain extremely vulnerable. In rural areas, extreme poverty tends to be even more manifest. And certain population groups, including women, persons with disabilities and children, are disproportionately represented among the poor and continue to face additional constraints.

Since the MDGs were formulated, we have a much better understanding of poverty and what needs to be done to eradicate it. The Post-2015 Development Agenda presents us with a historic opportunity to make a decisive push against poverty and its worst deprivations by holistically addressing the many dimensions of this phenomenon.

Mr. Chairman/ Mme. Chair,

Productive employment and decent work for all are central to poverty eradication, the achievement of the MDGs and the promotion of equitable, inclusive and sustainable development.

Young people continue to be disproportionately affected by increasing unemployment. Around 74.5 million young people were jobless in 2013, almost 1 million more than in 2012.

When it comes to creating work opportunities and stimulating economic growth, Israel has greatly benefited from dynamically fostering an enabling environment conducive to entrepreneurship growth. Entrepreneurship has the power to help build societies in which people have the confidence, skill and desire to solve the problems they see around them by themselves for themselves. Israel promotes entrepreneurship among all sectors of its society. Israel also greatly values small and medium sized enterprises, especially the micro-enterprises. Kiva, the international microloan provider, has partnered with an Israeli economic development fund to help Bedouin and Arab-Israeli women set up their own micro-enterprises. In 18 years, the organization has loaned more than $206 million to 8,000 small and micro businesses, creating more than 40,000 jobs.

Mr. Chairman,

It is widely known that robust and stable economic growth—as crucial as it is—is not sufficient to reduce poverty.

Poverty is not only about lack of income—it is also about lack of opportunity, which is exacerbated by additional dimensions of poverty including hunger, lack of access to healthcare, education and sanitation.

Israel strongly believes that social protection policies, particularly for the most vulnerable, are key to reducing poverty and inequalities, and can play a transformative role in contributing to inclusive and sustainable economic growth, while also enhancing resilience in the face of disasters or crises.

In a recent report, a government-mandated committee on poverty in Israel highlighted the critical role of social safety nets, which include not only funding and benefits but also support, guidance, social services, education, and housing assistance. The report states “ A needy and a poor person is not just a number or a file in an office, each person is an entire world; and our obligation is to recognise their human dignity and to work with understanding, compassion, good will and a sense of responsibility to take them out of poverty.”

Mr. Chairman/Mme. Chair,

Israel strongly believes that empowering women is a prerequisite to eradicating poverty in the context of sustainable development. Women in the developing world remain less likely than men to have access to healthcare, own property, and enjoy credit and financial assistance. And yet women are the main axis around which families grow, children are educated and young men and women have a chance to expand their opportunities, engendering positive outcomes across communities and nations.

Israel's development work places a special emphasis on women. When a woman is empowered economically, she reinvests 90% of her earnings in her family, and the positive effects ripple cross an entire community. We therefore must ensure that they are given the tools to be able to prosper, and that includes giving them the ability to make their own decision about their own reproduction.

Just last month, our international development agency, MASHAV, in cooperation with the UNWomen Easter & Southern Africa regional office, organized a workshop in Israel aimed at empowering women through the establishment of small enterprises to generate income and employment. This workshop paid particular attention to women in agro-technology including capacity building and training in agro-technology and agro-business; and the establishment of a Leadership Center, including the design and implementation of leadership development programs in the East and Horn of Africa regions.

Mr. Chairman/ Mme. Chair,

Building resilient communities through healthcare and education policies is vital to breaking the cycle of poverty. It is also critical to bolster health and education infrastructure when disaster strikes or threats emerge.

The spread of the deadly Ebola virus in West Africa is a tragic reminder of the devastating health, economic and social impacts this disease is having in the affected countries.

Israel is doing its part by sending three fully equipped "Emergency Anti-Ebola" medical clinics to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. These clinics, built in accordance with WHO standards, include hospital beds, isolation kits, and protective clothing for medical staff, and will be operated by teams of Israeli specialists.

Mr. Chairman/ Mme. Chair,

The thread that connects of all of Israel's efforts to reduce poverty is one: empowering people to be the drivers of their own success. This is the spirit that should guide us the post-2015 development agenda.

No government, agency or organization can fight poverty better than the people who suffer from it. Our job is to listen to their voices, and provide them with the tools to do so. 

I thank you again Mr. Chair, for steering our deliberations on this highly important topic.

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