On 20 July 2026, the European Union delivered a statement at the UN General Assembly on Nelson Mandela International Day, asserting that poverty is man-made and can be overcome through collective action. The statement, delivered on behalf of the EU and its Member States, highlighted the bloc's commitment to eradicating poverty in all its forms, both within Europe and globally, and called for renewed multilateral cooperation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
The EU statement drew on Mandela's words that "poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings." It noted that the European Commission adopted the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy earlier in 2026, aiming to eradicate poverty in the EU by 2050 and lift at least 15 million people out of poverty or social exclusion by 2030. The EU also cited its European Child Guarantee, which improves access to childcare, education, healthcare, and mental health services for vulnerable children.
Globally, the EU and its Member States remain the largest providers of official development assistance (ODA) through the United Nations system, despite a historical decline in ODA worldwide in 2025. The statement emphasized that fostering sustainable economic, social, and environmental development with the primary aim of eradicating poverty is a founding principle of EU international cooperation, enshrined in the Treaty on European Union. The EU also highlighted the importance of decent work, universal social protection, and the Global Gateway Infrastructure Initiative as tools to combat poverty and inequality.
The statement was endorsed by candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Georgia, as well as Armenia, Andorra, and the United Kingdom. The EU called for continued multilateral cooperation, citing last year's World Social Summit and the Doha Declaration as evidence that multilateralism remains indispensable.