With delivery of the political commitment accepted by governments at the 1995 Social Summit in Copenhagen, poverty elimination is achievable.

We also know that poverty elimination is affordable.

But with under ten years to go before 2015 – the target date for halving the proportion of people living in poverty under the MDG strategy – we know that even if these goals are met in full, nearly a billion people will remain in poverty beyond that date.

Reaching the MDGs and eliminating chronic poverty means going beyond policies based on the notion that even the most disadvantaged can take advantage of the opportunities that globalisation provides for some.

If the ultimate aim of poverty elimination is to be realised by 2025, steps are needed now:

• to harness the increasing public and political support for and momentum towards the goals
• to build understanding of the factors that trap people and countries in chronic poverty
• to address the inequalities and exploitation that keep people poor
• to identify the key milestones that need to be reached in order to reach the 2015 goals and to ensure that children born in 2007 do not pass their poverty on to the next generation.

For the millions of people who sit outside the economic and social mainstream, the opportunities created by global development are not enough. Additional approaches are needed.

Chronically poor people need targeted support that puts them in a postion to take up opportunities. Being chronically poor isn't just about low income. It means not having the basic food, safe water, health or education required to take up the types of opportunity provided by economic growth.

Targeted assistance needs to take place in a framework that prioritises livelihood security. People living at the margins cannot afford risk when illness or crop failure can lead to a lifetime of destitution.

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