Rapporteur Luca Volontè reported to the Parliamentary Assembly in 2011 that poverty and social exclusion in Council of Europe member states had recently increased, posing a threat to the full enjoyment of fundamental rights by an increasing number of people and to the social cohesion of European societies. He reminded them that poverty can only be effectively eradicated by empowering the poor.23 On the basis of this report, the Assembly adopted a resolution calling on Member States to « make the voices of people living in poverty heard: to consider developing new forms of governance and participation to help individuals and communities, bring together and empower people affected by poverty. and promoting social inclusion for all… « .24 Agenda 202025, the Council of Europe`s key document on youth policy, stresses the importance of access to education, work, decent living conditions, cultural, sporting and creative activities, as well as dialogue and solidarity between generations as the main drivers of social inclusion. 1 Comparison based on data from Forbes.com and the World Bank data.worldbank.org 2 Poverty and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, E/C.12/2001/10., 2001 www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/%28Symbol%29/E.C.12.2001.10.En 3 This amount is determined on the basis of « purchasing power parity », i.e. how much local money is needed to buy the same goods that could buy $1.25 in the United States. 4 See Reddy Sanjay G. & Pogge Thomas W., 2005, How Not to Count the Poor, Colombia University, version 6.2.3. 29 October. 5 Based on the definition of poverty published by the European Commission in the Joint Report on Social Inclusion 2004.

12555; assembly.coe.int/Main.asp?link=/Documents/WorkingDocs/Doc11/EDOC12555.htm#P18_58 24 Fight against poverty, Resolution 1800 (2011) assembly.coe.int/Main.asp?link=/Documents/AdoptedText/ta11/ERES1800.htm assembly.coe.int/Main.asp?link=/Documents/AdoptedText/ta11/ERES1800.htm – P7_33 25 The future of Council of Europe youth policy: AGENDA 2020, Declaration of the 8th Conference of Ministers responsible for Youth of the Council of Europe, 2008; www.coe.int/t/dg4/youth/Source/IG_Coop/Min_Conferences/2008_Kyiv_CEMRY_Declaration_en.pdf right to adequate housing. The right to adequate housing is the right of everyone to acquire and maintain a safe home where they can live in peace and dignity. Most of the poor live in disadvantaged areas, in inadequate housing or at risk of homelessness. They may face problems of overcrowding, pollution and noise, and may not have access to clean water, sanitation or heating. The poor often live in remote and dangerous areas, which are usually stigmatized by others. Inadequate housing and homelessness are a consequence of poverty and can lead to deeper deprivation and exclusion. According to the World Bank`s definition of $1.90 per day, in 2021 [updated], about 710 million people remained in extreme poverty (or about 1 in 10 people worldwide). [31] Almost half of them live in India and China, more than 85% live in only 20 countries. Since the mid-1990s, the global poverty rate and the total number of extremely poor people have been steadily decreasing. In 1990, the percentage of the world`s population living in extreme poverty was 43 per cent, but by 2011 this percentage had fallen to 21 per cent.

[23] This halving of the rate of extreme poverty is in line with the first Millennium Development Goal (MDG 1) proposed by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who at the turn of the century called on the international community to halve the proportion of people living in extreme poverty by 2015. [32] USAID defines fragility as lack of legitimacy (the perception that the government is doing its job appropriately) and effectiveness (the government`s ability to maintain law and order in a fair manner). Because fragile nations are unable to perform the functions of a state in a fair and effective manner, these countries are far more vulnerable to violent unrest and mass inequality. In addition, in countries where inequality is high (a common problem in countries where government institutions are inadequate), much higher growth rates are needed to reduce poverty rates compared to other countries. When China and India are excluded from the equation, up to 70% of the world`s poor live in fragile states according to some definitions of fragility. Some analysts predict that extreme poverty will be increasingly concentrated in fragile and low-income states such as Haiti, Yemen and the Central African Republic. [39] However, some academics, such as Andy Sumner, argue that extreme poverty will be increasingly concentrated in middle-income countries, leading to a paradox where the world`s poor do not really live in the poorest countries. [40] The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is the primary U.S.

government agency dedicated to eradicating extreme poverty. The United States, currently the world`s largest bilateral donor, directs most of its development assistance through USAID and the U.S. Department of State. In his 2013 State of the Union address, President Obama said, « The United States will therefore join forces with its allies to eradicate this extreme poverty over the next two decades. which is within our reach. In response to Obama`s call to action, USAID placed the elimination of extreme poverty at the center of its mission statement. [58] As part of its new development model, USAID seeks to eradicate extreme poverty through the use of scientific and technological innovation by placing greater emphasis on evidence-based decision-making and leveraging the ingenuity of the private sector and global citizens. [59] Poor children tend to miss more school due to illness and endure more stress at home.