UN Mandela Day message urges global action to end poverty and cut inequality

Courtney Retre, chef de cabinet to the United Nations secretary-general, delivered the secretary-general's message at a Nelson Mandela International Day observance, urging governments and international institutions to act to end poverty and reduce inequality.

Retre paid tribute to Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela and recalled visiting Robben Island, where Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in prison. "I will never forget visiting his prison on Robben Island," Retre said, adding that he was struck by Mandela's "resilience of his spirit" and his "capacity for forgiveness and reconciliation."

The statement framed this year's Mandela Day theme—poverty and inequality—as a defining challenge. "Hundreds of millions of people struggle to afford basic needs like food, water, health, and education," Retre said, and warned that "there is something deeply wrong when we spend more on the instruments of destruction and death than on the tools of development and peace."

Quoting Mandela, Retre said, "Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man made, and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings." He used that premise to urge policy changes rather than resignation: "Ending poverty and inequality requires rewiring economies and societies to focus policies, budgets, and investments where they belong—on people."

Retre outlined specific priorities he said the secretary-general favors: jump-starting economic growth in the poorest countries; adopting progressive fiscal policies to produce more equitable outcomes; investing in decent work, universal health coverage, quality education and social protection systems; scaling up domestic and global financing and debt relief for developing countries; and reforming the international financial architecture to better represent developing countries.

He also urged investment in renewable energy and wider access to digital technologies, and stressed gender equality: "working towards full gender equality and empowering women and girls across every sector." On global security and spending, he argued policymakers should "put peace first, by reining in out of control military spending, and investing in peace and development."

Retre closed by calling for collective action to carry forward Mandela's principles of freedom, justice, equality, solidarity and reconciliation. The observance's moderator then thanked the chef de cabinet, concluding the statement portion of the event.

The message was delivered on behalf of the secretary-general and did not announce any specific UN decision or new program in the transcript.