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The World Alliance of Cities Against Poverty (WACAP) is a contribution made by cities from all continents to the International Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (1997-2006) proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly. WACAP was initiated during the first quarter of 1996, International Year for the Eradication of Poverty, and officially launched on October 17, 1997 by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). While the world’s wealth has multiplied 7 times in 50 years, the number of people doomed to live in poverty has increased to 1.3 billion and keeps growing. One person in ten is malnourished or suffers from hunger. One person in five lacks access to safe drinking water. 120 million people North and South are unemployed, and 700 million are underemployed. The average income of the poorest billion people on earth is now 78 times smaller than that of the richest billion people - compared to 30 times thirty-five years ago. As a result, every three seconds a child, whom we failed to protect, dies. Yet our generation is the first in the history of humankind to possess the means and capacity to reverse this situation. If we make it our priority, poverty can be overcome in our lifetime. Let ours not be the generation that failed to take this opportunity. It is a matter of human dignity. Plans of action to fight poverty, protect children, regenerate the environment, provide access to healthcare, clean water, education and basic social services, and ensure an income and a decent standard of living for all, have been drawn up by the governments of the world at global conferences held in the last six years under the aegis of the United Nations. Those plans must now be implemented. To trigger and accelerate the move towards their implementation, the General Assembly of the UN has proclaimed 1997-2006 “International Decade for the Eradication of Poverty” and has set an ambitious standard for human development through the Millennium Development Goals articulated as a part of the Millennium Development Declaration. With appropriate local and national efforts, as well as revitalized international cooperation, much can be accomplished during the 10 years ahead, so that one day, no child will go without an education, no human being will be denied primary health care or safe drinking water, and no one will be condemned to go hungry. In order to ensure that 1997-2006 is a decade of tangible change, UNDP is working with different sectors of society to raise public awareness and increase concrete initiatives against poverty. Municipalities can make a significant contribution to these two aims, while benefiting immensely from the process. The World Alliance of Cities against Poverty unites cities that have decided to take a public stand and mobilise all sectors of society, from individuals to governments, to do everything in their power to eliminate poverty both at home and abroad. |