END EXTREME POVERTY NOW

Dear World Leaders:

Leaders who signed the Global Goals in 2015 are not keeping their promise to prioritize the world's most marginalized people. We must act now if we’re going to change course.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, on top of decades of half measures to fully address systems of inequality, is staggering. The war against Ukraine - in addition to causing untold suffering and devastation - will only aggravate efforts to achieve this mission. The ongoing crisis, and its unfolding repercussions, are only a stark and violent reminder that we need more action NOW, everywhere. 

Nearly 100M more people have been pushed into extreme poverty due to COVID-19, wiping away 6 years of progress. 45M people are on the brink of starvation. Over 85M are on the move, fleeing conflict, including nearly 13 million who have fled their homes from Ukraine. There was insufficient progress from world leaders in 2021, despite numerous opportunities at the G7, G20, and COP26 meetings. Now is the time for our leaders to act. 

The poorest people on our planet continue to suffer. They lack access to food, healthcare, and education. They deal with the realities of climate change — unending drought in some places, flooding, and rising sea levels in others. They are unable to put food on the table, unable to access basic medicines, education and healthcare, unable to access financing or equity, and therefore unable to offer their children a better future. Many of these people are refugees and internally displaced fleeing conflict areas such as Ukraine, Syria and Venezuela in recent years. 

We need to improve opportunities for women and girls around the world, address the systemic barriers that keep people in poverty, and halt the climate crisis. But we can only succeed in addressing these issues by eliminating the barriers that have prevented us from ending extreme poverty and committing to financing levels that will allow for real sustainable progress -  not just a temporary fix. We can’t pay for one crisis by cutting funding for another. Each and every crisis, and each and every person living in poverty, deserves to receive our support and solidarity. 

Global Citizen demands action from governments and the private sector that enables developing countries to recover from the pandemic, close the $3.5 trillion development financing gap, and help end extreme poverty, now.

Finally, due to the ongoing absence of a globally unified approach to address the overlapping, rapidly escalating crises the world faces, we urgently call for a New Compact between citizens, businesses and governments capable of Protecting the Planet, Defeating Poverty, and Achieving Justice For All.  It’s time to design a real plan that can meet human needs, address our global crises, and show our leaders the way forward.

Our people and our planet are suffering now. So we must act now. No more pushing urgent action down the line. No more empty promises. The time to fully fund the future is today. 

With hope,