27 May 1988

16th plenary meeting

Extreme poverty

The Economic and Social Council,

Concerned that a significant percentage of the world's population lives in conditions of extreme poverty and is forced to live increasingly at the margins of society,

Noting the insufficient attention paid to the phenomenon of extreme poverty, a phenomenon that frequently eludes international and intergovernmental action and current statistical methods,

Recalling its resolution 1987/48 of 28 May 1987, in which it called on non-governmental organizations to support follow-up activities to the Interregional Consultation on Developmental Social Welfare Policies and Programmes,

Taking into account the provision of the Declaration on Social Progress and Development to the effect that social progress and development are the common concerns of the international community, which shall supplement, by concerted international action, national efforts to raise the living standards of peoples,

Bearing in mind General Assembly resolution 2543 (XXIV) of 11 December 1969 on the implementation of the Declaration on Social Progress and Development,

Noting the results of the International Conference on the Human Dimension of Africa's Economic Recovery and Development and the Khartoum Declaration adopted by the Conference in March 1988,

Concerned that a deteriorating international economic situation has adverse social consequences, particularly for developing countries, and contributes to extending the boundaries of extreme poverty and increases the number of people living in such conditions,

Bearing in mind the urgent need to take account of the social costs of adjustment policies,

Calling for the strengthening of efforts being made by the international community to alleviate the impact of such policies on those who live in conditions of extreme poverty,

Considering that the Commission for Social Development is the most appropriate United Nations organ for recommending social development policies,

1. Requests the Commission for Social Development to study the phenomenon of extreme poverty with a view to examining the interrelationship between social development and the eradication of poverty and report to the Economic and Social Council at its first regular session of 1989;

2. Invites all Member States to transmit to the Commission for Social Development any studies or reports that they may have on the problem of extreme poverty or, if they have none, invites them to consider undertaking such studies and to transmit them to the Commission;

3. Also invites non-governmental organizations to continue to support follow-up activities to the Interregional Consultation on Developmental Social Welfare Policies and Programmes, in accordance with Council resolution 1987/48;

4. Urges the Commission for Social Development to suggest, on the basis of an assessment of its studies, strategies that will help put an end to the marginalization of people living in extreme poverty, irrespective of the economic and social system to which they belong, and to submit its views to the Economic and Social Council for consideration at its first regular session of 1991;

5. Requests the Secretary-General to include the results of the studies of the Commission for Social Development in his report on the world social situation.