International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

The observance of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is intrinsically linked to the date of 17 October 1987. On that day, over a hundred thousand people gathered at the Trocad?ro in Paris, where the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed in 1948, to honour the victims of extreme poverty, violence and hunger. They proclaimed that poverty is a violation of human rights and affirmed the need to come together to ensure that these rights are respected. These convictions are inscribed in a commemorative stone unveiled on this day. Since then, people of all backgrounds, beliefs and social origins have gathered every year on 17th October  to renew their commitment and show their solidarity with the poor.