{"id":40235,"date":"2026-07-22T07:22:20","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T05:22:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/?post_type=news&#038;p=40235"},"modified":"2026-07-22T07:22:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T05:22:20","slug":"un-marks-mandela-day-with-call-to-end-poverty","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/news\/un-marks-mandela-day-with-call-to-end-poverty\/","title":{"rendered":"UN marks Mandela Day with call to end poverty"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>The United Nations (UN) has marked Nelson Mandela International Day with a renewed call for global action to tackle poverty and inequality.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>During an informal plenary meeting of the UN General Assembly, leaders and speakers reflected on Madiba&#8217;s enduring legacy, saying his vision remains relevant as millions of people continue to face deep social and economic challenges.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>This year&#8217;s theme is: &#8220;It is still in our hands to combat poverty and inequity.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Mandela speaking at the UN General Assembly in 1995: &#8220;We meet to affirm our commitment to the founding idea and the common desire to better the life of all human beings. That better life must mean an end to poverty.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>More than three decades after addressing the UN General Assembly, Nelson Mandela&#8217;s words continue to resonate as the world grapples with poverty and inequality. \u00a0Mandela&#8217;s call to end poverty remains at the heart of this year&#8217;s Mandela International Day.<\/p><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Commemorating the occasion, UN leaders said his vision of justice, equality and human dignity continues to guide efforts to build a more inclusive world.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>President of the UN General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, said Mandela&#8217;s message reflects the values upon which the UN was founded.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Mandela reminded this Assembly, us, of the same principles that guided the founding of this organisation. That peace requires more than the absence of conflict. That requires human dignity, justice and equality for all. As we mark the Nelson Mandela International Day, we honour not only that vision. We acknowledge our own responsibility to carry this work, this spirit, forward, as reflected in this year&#8217;s theme. It is still in our hands to combat poverty inequality.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The UN says reducing poverty and inequality requires more than economic growth, it demands policies and investments that put people first.<\/p><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Courtenay Rattray, Chef de Cabinet to the UN Secretary-General, says Mandela understood that meaningful progress only comes through collective action.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Ending poverty and inequality requires re-wiring economies and societies to focus policies, budgets and investments where they belong, on people. Madiba was blessed with a rare kind of double vision. He saw the world both for what it was and what it could be. He also recognised that progress is never automatic. Progress is the result of action. It&#8217;s up to all of us to come together to make that progress real and through our actions, our advocacy, and our voice, to defeat poverty and inequality.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Speakers also stressed that governments have a responsibility to ensure that everyone has access to basic services and equal opportunities.<\/p><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Shaffiou Assoumanou, Strategic Relationships Director for Africa at the New York City Mayor&#8217;s Office, called for policies that protect the dignity and rights of all people.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We need government that commit to the tasks of delivering a life of dignity by putting in place policies that make food, housing and care affordable and available to everyone. Policies that demonstrate our commitment to universal human rights, regardless of where people were born, their gender identity or sexual orientation, their nationality or their immigration status.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>South African journalist, author and moderator Redi Tlhabi challenged leaders to move beyond commemorating Mandela&#8217;s legacy and instead embrace the courage that defined his leadership.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The world does not need another annual celebration of Mandela. It needs the courage that made him so deeply inconvenient. It needs leaders willing to disturb comfortable injustice before history rewards them for doing so. It needs nations prepared to defend international law, even when it inconveniences powerful allies. It needs institutions that are willing to reform themselves before the world loses faith in them.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The UN says honouring Mandela&#8217;s legacy requires action-not only through words, but through policies and collective efforts that place people, dignity and equality at the centre of development.<\/p><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8212;\u00a0ChannelAfrica, Lebogang Mabange&#8211;<\/div>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":13444,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"news-type":[78,26],"class_list":["post-40235","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-featured","news-type-general_news","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"","published_date":"","news_description":"UN has marked Nelson Mandela International Day","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/40235","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/40235\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40236,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/40235\/revisions\/40236"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13444"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=40235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}