Sustainable Development Goals

No Poverty
Group A, India-side.

The Challenge.
Around the world today, a staggering 800 million people still live in conditions of extreme
poverty. With one in five people living on less than USD 1.25 a day, extreme poverty presents
one of the most urgent crises of our times. While the number of people living in extreme
poverty has declined by more than half since 1990, a great deal more needs to be done.
Millions subsist on just over USD 1.25 a day, and many more remain at risk of slipping back
into poverty. Young people are especially vulnerable. While 10.2% of all working adults live
below the global poverty line of USD 1.9 a day as of 2015, this number rises to 16% when we
consider the age group of 15-24 years. Children, too, are victims of global poverty, with
18,000 children dying every single day from poverty related causes.

Why is this important?

Poverty is more than just the lack of income or access to resources – it manifests itself in
diminished opportunities for education, social discrimination and the inability to participate in
decision-making processes. For instance, in developing countries, children in the poorest
households are four times less likely to be in school than those of the richest. But extreme
deprivation is not just about wellbeing and opportunity; it is a question of survival itself. In
Latin America and East Asia, the poorest children are three times more likely to die by age 5
than the richest.

How can we address this?

Ending poverty in all its forms everywhere forms the first goal of the 2030 Sustainable
Development agenda. It calls for ensuring social protection, enhancing access to basic
services, and building resilience against the impacts of natural disasters which can cause
severe damage to people’s resources and livelihoods. The international community agrees,
through the Sustainable Development agenda for 2030, that economic growth must be
inclusive, especially of the most poor and vulnerable, and aims to eradicate extreme poverty
for all people everywhere in the next 15 years.
Status of SDG in respective countries.
India and Goal 1
Between 2012-2013, global reduction in extreme poverty was driven mainly by Asia – notably
China and India. Despite the fact that India made tremendous progress in halving its poverty
head count ratio by 2011-2012, it still remains at 21% of the population. Nearly 80% of these
poor live in rural areas and eradicating poverty is at the core of India’s national priorities. The
Government of India has many progressive schemes, including the world’s largest
employment guarantee scheme, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee
Scheme, and the National Social Assistance Programme.

Targets
 By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, currently measured as
people living on less than USD1.25 a day.
 By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages
living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions.
 Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including
floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable.
 By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have
equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership and
control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate
new technology and financial services, including microfinance.
 By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their
exposure and vulnerability to climate- related extreme events and other economic, social
and environmental shocks and disasters.
 Ensure significant mobilization of resources from a variety of sources, including through
enhanced development cooperation, in order to provide adequate and predictable means
for developing countries, in particular least developed countries, to implement programmes
and policies to end poverty in all its dimensions.
 Create sound policy frameworks at the national, regional and international levels, based on
pro-poor and gender-sensitive development strategies, to support accelerated investment
in poverty eradication actions.

Japan and goal 1

Fundamental Idea
Prior to the formulation of the 2030 Agenda, Japan was already implementing measures in an
integrated manner to build a sustainable society through environmental, economic and social

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improvements. Japan has also embarked on creating an inclusive and participatory society in
which every individual can achieve his or her full potential. In line with this ideal, Japan has
forged ahead by reforming its relevant systems. Also, Japan has set human security as the
guiding principle that lies at the foundation of its foreign assistance and has placed issues such
as health, disaster risk reduction and gender equality, which are listed in the SDGs as major
challenges to be addressed, at the core of its international cooperation.Based on this
experience, Japan played a leading role in the formulation of the 2030 Agenda, including the
individual goals and targets. Japan aims to become a role model for the world in the
implementation of measures to achieve the SDGs and will make efforts both in Japan and in
cooperation with other countries to achieve sustainable societies worldwide where no one is
left behind

 September 2016
The Japan Civil Society Network on SDGs' website launched (in Japanese).
The network is a coalition of Japanese non-profit groups working to achieve the SDGs
targets.
 May 23-24, 2016
Citizen groups and participants discussed SDGs at a breakout session of the Citizen's Ise-
Shima Summit which was held to promote proposals developed by citizens to the local,
regional and international communities.
 May 15, 2016
Japanese subtitle were added to "We Love the SDGs (Sustainable Development
Goals)" a song by Alan AtKisson, who has launched a website entitled 17Goals,
specializing in the SDGs. The Japanese translation was done by Tra Tama Community, a
translators' community.
 April 2016
A civil society network was launched by a variety of non-governmental organizations to
facilitate smooth discussion between Japanese civil society and governmental ministries
and policy-makers, in order to achieve the SDGs in Japan. In Japanese, it is called the
"SDGs Shimin Shakai Network."

In conclusion,
Eradicating poverty in all its forms remains one of the greatest challenges facing
humanity. While the number of people living in extreme poverty dropped by more
than half between 1990 and 2015 – from 1.9 billion to 836 million – too many are
still struggling for the most basic human needs.The SDGs are a bold commitment to
finish what we started, and end poverty in all forms and dimensions by 2030. This
involves targeting the most vulnerable, increasing access to basic resources and
services, and supporting communities affected by conflict and climate -related
disasters.

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