Martin Kobler, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in the DRC, is worried about a form of extreme poverty which also affects workers

KINSHASA, Dem. Rep. of Congo (DRC) October 17, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- “Eradicating poverty for good in the whole world is neither an utopia nor an illusion ; it is a clear objective towards which we must all strive for,” stated Martin Kobler, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The eradication of extreme poverty and hunger is at the heart of the Millennium Development Goals. Their aim is to reduce by half, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of the population living below the poverty line.

The global objective has been achieved; as in the developing world, the percentage of individuals living below the poverty line fell from 47% in 1990 to 22% in 2010. However, the progress has been unequal, and while improvements were substantial in Asia and Latin America, they were more limited in Sub-Saharan Africa. Today, there are still 1.2 billion people living in extreme poverty in the world.

“The economic situation is improving every day in the DRC, the growth rate is high and inflation is under control. This positive development will not affect Congolese men and women unless companies show a real sense of social responsibility. I would like to call upon Congolese and international enterprises to share with their employees the benefits of a growing economy,” concluded the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the DRC.