Poverty Reduction
News and Updates
The adoption of a rights based approach to development (as embodied in the Millennium Declaration) is a central plank of the UNDPs overall development support strategy and policy dialogue and partnership building are considered key to enable broad-based ownership, coordinated approaches and collective action around the efforts to address poverty and the MDG agenda. In this regard UNDP strives to ensure that the rights of the especially vulnerable groups are met within a people-centered and social inclusion approach, including attention to gender equality and marginalized communities (north and east, estate sector, IDPs).
Sri Lanka is long recognized for its attention to the multi-dimensional nature of poverty, and as a result of Sri Lanka’s commitment to human development, it is well positioned to achieve several of the MDGs, particularly those targets for health and education. A national average of 23% of the population lives below the official national poverty line. Malnutrition levels reflect another pressing development priority given that nearly one out of three children in Sri Lanka is underweight. Furthermore, the conflict and tsunami affected areas present context-specific challenges to be addressed in terms of their impact on poverty reduction and the achievement of the MDGs. |