UN General Assembly
2008

“Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services”: that principle is enshrined in article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, whose sixtieth anniversary we celebrate this year. As an international community, we bear responsibility for their fulfilment. Fighting against hunger and poverty is among the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It has been almost eight years since the international community set them. Despite numerous declarations and commitments we are still short of achieving the Goals. It will be impossible to overcome the current crisis or carry out our development policies unless — 31 08-51839 and I stress this — every country shoulders its individual responsibility, takes concrete steps and assesses the progress made so far. We should make joint efforts to promote a global development programme with the MDGs as its basis. It was in that vein that Poland joined British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in endorsing the call to