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26-Apr-2001
Developing countries have achieved remarkable, although uneven, improvements in living standards over the past 30 years, and development co-operation has played a strong supportive role. But poverty reduction, in the context of sustainable development, remains a major challenge. Extreme poverty ravages the lives of one person in four in the developing world. Illiteracy, hunger and disease are still widespread, and HIV/AIDS has become a scourge in many developing countries. About half of the poor are children suffering from hardship, want and violence — and the majority of poor adults are women. Globalisation offers promising avenues for spurring growth and reducing poverty, but special effort will be required to ensure that poor countries and poor people share adequately in its opportunities and benefits.
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