International Initiatives

Some European Community members with economies similar to the United States have undertaken such efforts as steps on the path to reducing poverty.

European Union:
Members are obligated to take steps to make a decisive impact on the eradication of poverty by 2010, under the Open Method of Coordination (OMC) agreement achieved at the Lisbon Council and the Nice Summit in 2000, and submit a National Action Plan against Poverty and Social Exclusion every two years.

Great Britain:
In 1999, Britain adopted a goal of ending child poverty by 2020. To meet that goal, they enacted policies to help parents work, to provide financial support to families, to give children excellent public services and to support parents in their parenting role.

Ireland:
In 1997, Ireland adopted an explicit overall target for reducing the percentage of the population identified as consistently poor, from 9 to 15 percent to less than 5 to 10 percent from 1997-2007. In 2007, Ireland issued its latest poverty target: to reduce the number of those experiencing consistent poverty to between 2 and 4 percent by 2012, with the aim of eliminating consistent poverty by 2016.

United Nations:
Members of the UN are obligated to:Define time-bound goals and targets for reducing overall poverty and eradicating absolute poverty, expanding employment and reducing unemployment, and enhancing social integration, under the Copenhagen and Program of Action (1995)

Build consensus with all relevant actors on policies and strategies to reduce the proportion of people living in extreme poverty by one half by 2015 (from 2000 levels), according to the Millennium Development Goals (2000)

We encourage you to submit other initiatives to reduce poverty and increase opportunity. To submit your suggestion, e-mail Jodie Levin-Epstein