UN chief launches global anti-poverty campaign

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched a global campaign Friday to get millions of people around the world to Stand Up Against Poverty this weekend. Now in its fourth year, the Stand Up against Poverty Campaign established a world record last year with 116 million people taking part in events to support the campaign to meet the UN Millennium Development Goals, which include reducing extreme poverty by half and ensuring universal primary education by 2015.
The secretary-general told students at the UN International School that by taking a stand and by acting, poverty could be ended ``in our lifetimes.' The campaign began Friday and runs through Sunday. The UN Millennium Campaign, which supports efforts to achieve the UN goals, said more than 1,000 events in over 100 countries are planned this weekend to demand government action to combat poverty and meet the goals.