Papua New Guinea

Poverty Reduction & Achieving the MDGs

Thirty-seven percent of PNG's population live below the national poverty line and PNG is one of the poorest countries in Asia and indeed the world. UNDP's poverty reduction programme is geared towards providing strategic support to the government in its formulation and implementation of national development plans and strategies so that it can help PNG achieve the Millennium Target of halving poverty by 2015.

The government of PNG, like all governments of the world, has agreed, by signing up to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to addressing many dimensions of human development, including halving by 2015 the proportion of people living in extreme poverty.

UNDP is working closely with the government to help make this a reality, as well as monitor the country's progress towards achieving the MDGs.

UNDP promotes the concept that equity, social inclusion, women's empowerment, and respect for human rights matter for poverty reduction.