In December 1995, the General Assembly proclaimed the First United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (1997-2006).
In December 1996, the General Assembly declared the theme for the Decade as a whole to be "Eradicating poverty is an ethical, social, political and economic imperative of humankind."
In December 2007, the General Assembly proclaimed the Second United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (2008-2017) reiterating that eradicating poverty was the greatest global challenge facing the world and a core requirement for sustainable development, especially for developing countries. The proclamation recalls the outcomes of the World Summit for Social Development and the twenty-fourth special session of the General Assembly.