E/CN.4/1999/48 page 14 unnecessarily from diseases as simple and treatable as diarrhoea. Those children who do survive have little chance for education and the opportunity to escape poverty. 51. Consequently the Bank has placed health and education at the centre of its lending and advisory programmes in the social sector for the poor countries. In fiscal 1998 the Bank allocated to the social sector US$ 8,480 million out of total lending of US$ 28,594 million, including US$ 1.9 billion for health, population and nutrition; US$ 665 million for basic infrastructure such as water supply and sanitation facilities; and US$ 3.1 billion for education, placing greater emphasis on primary education for girls, the rural poor and linguistic minorities. C. United Nations commitment to eradicate poverty 52. The Statement for Action to Eradicate Poverty, adopted by the Administrative Committee on Coordination in May 1998, reaffirmed that poverty eradication is a key international commitment and a central objective of the United Nations system. The ACC emphasized that poverty is a denial of choices and opportunities, as well as a violation of human dignity. It means lack of basic capacity to participate effectively in society. It means not having enough to feed and clothe a family, not having a school or a clinic to go to, not having the land on which to grow one's food or a job to earn one's living, nor having access to credit. It means insecurity, powerlessness and exclusion of individuals, households and communities. It means susceptibility to violence and it often implies living in marginal and fragile environments, not having access to clean water and sanitation. 53. The executive heads of agency were convinced that this situation is unacceptable as the world has the resources and the capacity to eradicate absolute poverty. Consequently, they reaffirmed that the United Nations system has an obligation to mobilize the will of the international community to achieve this goal. 54. According to the ACC Statement, protecting the rights of all to a minimum standard of living is good economics because investment in the poor, including women and children, offers the best guarantee of sustained growth and productivity gains in the future. In addition, eradication of poverty is today an indispensable condition for lasting peace. Without the full and effective participation of the poor in global growth, the challenges of peace and development will not be met. 55. The United Nations system must play a supportive and catalytic role in mobilizing the energies and resources of all development actors - Governments, the private sector, civil society, donors and, above all, the poor themselves - in the campaign against poverty. Taken together, development goals address the challenge of poverty eradication. They cover reductions in income poverty, child mortality, maternal mortality and child malnutrition as well as improvements in life expectancy and access to basic social services, especially among women. 56. The ACC also underscored that poverty cannot be eradicated without transparent and accountable government at all levels. Democratization and