Tuesday 17 October 2023 | International day for the Eradication of Poverty
Jamaica Pegasus, Knutsford Boulevard, 8:00 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Salutations

•    Members of the Ready Set Great Steering Committee
•    Distinguished panellists and speakers
•    Moderator and Hosts
•    Members of the media
•    Distinguished delegates

Good morning!

On the day the world commemorates International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, you, our youth delegates have cleared your calendar and rolled up your sleeves to take a fresh look at youth poverty through the lens of Jamaica’s Vision 2030 National Goals. 

You mean business and I am therefore privileged and thrilled to join you for UNDP’s third Ready Set Great youth conference at a pivotal time in our global plan to advance the Sustainable Development Goals. 

2030 is just seven years away and only 15 percent of the global targets are on track.  

1.2 billion people were still living in multidimensional poverty as of 2022.   

It is projected that in 2030, 680 million people will still be subject to hunger.  

In Jamaica, nearly one in five youth aged 15 to 24 and 15% of those aged 25 to 34 years are considered poor. That’s an average of 17.3% according to 2021 data.

Turn to the delegate next to you and say, “Delegate, we have work to do!” [PAUSE]  

Most agree that there must be room around the decision-making tables for you to help accelerate action around these issues that impact your age group. 

However, we must do more than consult you for your ideas. We must prepare you to helm innovative projects that break new ground, test new theories and push the envelope on how we confront the pressing issues of our time. 
In the near future, some of you will be captains of industry. Some will innovate new ways of solving persistent challenges. Some will have a hand in shaping people centred policies. Your training must start now, backed by financing, supported by mentorship, powered by your progressive national youth policy and the UN 2030 Youth Strategy which was launched locally last week.  

UNDP will continue to support the strategic direction of the UN youth policies whilst promoting our global mission to tackle poverty, inequality & exclusion while building resilience to crisis. 

We are already implementing plans to support marginalized groups including young people access to better opportunities to escape or stay out of poverty through grants, training and mentorship.  

With seven years to go, I call on you to consider how you can support your nation’s goal of eradicating extreme poverty and reducing the prevalence of poverty to less than 10% by 2030.  

What dimensions of youth poverty can be addressed with the skills you bring to the table? 

By aligning your Call to Action on Youth Poverty to the four Vision 2030 National Development Goals, you can thoroughly explore its many facets and dimensions ensuring no gaps remain, leaving no one behind. 

Measurement of poverty will be critical in precisely assessing its extent and impact on various groups. Someone who is not income-poor can in fact be multidimensionally poor. UNDP therefore endorses the call by the youth leadership of Ready Set Great for the implementation of a Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) to complement existing income-based measures, incorporating health, education, living standards and other nationally relevant measures. We are encouraged by news that the government is actively exploring the MPI and would like to offer our global knowledge network and any other resources to clarify its cost benefits, regulatory and implementation requirements. 

UNDP stands as your ally and partner in helping you become the greatest versions of yourselves within the framework of our mission and priorities.

As I close, I ask you to applaud our youth steering committee members and co-hosts: Shamar Wedderburn. Christina Williams. Neville Charlton. Lanisia Rhoden, and Jenine Shepherd. And a big thank you to our institutional partners: the Planning Institute of Jamaica/Vision 2030, Jamaica Social Investment Fund, Sir Arthur Lewis Institute for Social and Economic Studies (SALISES), and Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN). Thank you for helping us create the powerful Ready Set Great experience as a vehicle for enlightened youth action, advocacy and knowledge sharing.  

UNDP remains resolute in our determination to strategically engage your intellect, your insights and your creative problem-solving skills to supporting a reduction in the rates of poverty and exclusion among young people. At this important inflexion point in the journey to 2030, I call on you to rise up, reflect and retool. Ensure you are ready and have your focus set on on doing great things for your country.    

Have a wonderful Day!