Globally, the number of people living in extreme poverty declined from 36 per cent in 1990 to 10 per cent in 2015. But the pace of change is decelerating and the COVID-19 crisis risks reversing decades of progress in the fight against poverty. New research published by the UNU World Institute for Development Economics Research warns that the economic fallout from the global pandemic could increase global poverty by as much as half a billion people, or 8% of the total human population. This would be the first time that poverty has increased globally in thirty years, since 1990.
More than 700 million people, or 10 per cent of the world population, still live in extreme poverty today, struggling to fulfil the most basic needs like health, education, and access to water and sanitation, to name a few. The majority of people living on less than $1.90 a day live in sub-Saharan Africa. Worldwide, the poverty rate in rural areas is 17.2 per cent—more than three times higher than in urban areas.
For those who work, having a job does not guarantee a decent living. In fact, 8 per cent of employed workers and their families worldwide lived in extreme poverty in 2018. One out of five children live in extreme poverty. Ensuring social protection for all children and other vulnerable groups is critical to reduce poverty.
Professor Zhang Weiwei Discusses China’s Role in Geopolitics at CIRSD Horizons Discussion in Belgrade
The Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development (CIRSD) hosted a discussion featuring Professor Zhang Weiwei, a distinguished Chinese intellectual and professor at Fudan University, as part of the Horizons Discussion series. The event, moderated by CIRSD President Vuk Jeremić, brought together members of the diplomatic, business, and academic communities in Belgrade to discuss pressing global issues, including China’s geopolitical strategy, U.S.-China trade tensions, the future of global governance, and the Taiwan question.
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CIRSD and Sciences Po Host High-Level Panel on Multilateralism in Paris
Paris, January 2025 – The Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development (CIRSD), in partnership with Sciences Po, hosted a thought-provoking panel discussion on “Multilateralism and the New World Order” as part of the 10th Youth & Leaders Summit in Paris. The panel brought together distinguished global figures to address the future of international cooperation in an era of geopolitical uncertainty.
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No Geopolitics for the Defenseless (and Why the EU is no Different)
The 2024 U.S. presidential election once again took center stage, as if it were a World Cup final that gets broadcast every four years around the world.
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Vuk Jeremić at the World Policy Conference: “Europe Must Embrace Realism and Dialogue in a Post-War World”
Abu Dhabi, UAE – Vuk Jeremić, President of the Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development (CIRSD) and former President of the United Nations General Assembly, participated in the 17th World Policy Conference (WPC) in Abu Dhabi. Speaking during the plenary session “The Future of Europe After the Ukraine War and Trump’s Election,” Jeremić called for pragmatic strategies to address Europe’s challenges, stressing the need for honest dialogue and realistic expectations for the continent's future.
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