The world was already struggling to end poverty by 2030, and now the coronavirus pandemic is causing the first increase in the global scourge in decades, development figures show.

"While poverty is bad, and has been established as such, the COVID-19 pandemic has made a bad situation worse," said Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, president of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Before the onset of the pandemic, 2.1 billion people around the world were classified as poor, with 767 million living in extreme poverty.

Before the onset of the pandemic, 2.1 billion people around the world were classified as poor, with 767 million living in extreme poverty

Muhammad-Bande said the situation is getting more serious. It is estimated that by 2030, more than 100 million people would have lapsed back into poverty due to COVID-19 and climate change, he said.

A study released by King's College London and the Australian National University in early April painted an even grimmer picture. About 850 million are at risk of falling into poverty due to the sharp decline in economic activity, according to the UN.

READ MORE: Australia confirms two cases of new coronavirus strain

Muhammad-Bande said the UN, which has made poverty eradication a top priority, is making greater efforts to achieve its development goals.

On June 30, he launched the Alliance for Poverty Eradication, which will serve as a forum for member states to raise awareness about the danger that poverty poses to world peace, human rights and sustainable development.

The alliance will play an important role in pulling together all the factors in poverty eradication and serving as a one-stop networking, information-sharing and bridge-building center, said Muhammad-Bande, who was Nigeria's permanent representative to the UN from 2018 to 2019.

The alliance should provide a mechanism for taking on the poverty challenge from all possible, or at least, multidisciplinary, angles, he said.

ALSO READ: Coronavirus infections in Iran surpass 1 million

"There is no amount of time and attention given to poverty eradication that is too much," Muhammad-Bande said.

It no longer comes as a surprise that globally, one in 12 people live in extreme poverty and that one in nine lack access to food, he said.

The devastation and uncertainties of the pandemic have added to the challenges, Muhammad-Bande said.

"This malady which added to the challenge of poverty eradication also opened our eyes to likely disruptions in the future, and hence the need to better prepare for them," he said during the inauguration of the alliance.

Muhammad-Bande said the emerging consensus is that the pandemic will impact heavily on the capacities of least-developed countries to eradicate poverty without external assistance.

"It is my hope that the spirit of international cooperation which informed the establishment of the United Nations will also influence the choices of member states in matters pertaining to poverty eradication worldwide," he said.

"In this respect, I count on the newly inaugurated Alliance for Poverty Eradication to serve as the leading voice on poverty eradication, and to continue raising awareness about the necessity for multilateral cooperation on the matter," he said.

As a founding member of the alliance, China has made great achievements in advancing the cause of poverty reduction at home and abroad.

"For us, China coming on board is important," Muhammad-Bande said.

According to the World Bank, China has managed to lift 850 million people out of poverty since its reform and opening-up in the late 1970s, an unprecedented achievement.

Extensive experience

As a country that has over a few decades "focused on lifting people out of poverty", China's "extensive experience in moving forward the cause of poverty reduction" is valuable to other developing countries that are dealing with similar challenges, Muhammad-Bande said.

"Poverty alleviation is not a one-or two-year effort. The Chinese experience is an ongoing experience. The approach of China to lift the large population out of poverty is consistent," he said.

China is on track to lift all its rural poor out of extreme poverty under the current poverty line and achieve relevant goals and targets set in the 2030 agenda 10 years ahead of schedule, according to latest figures.

Muhammad-Bande said China's experience is worth studying by educators, institutions, advocates and agencies across all regions.

"We should not focus on poverty as manifestations only in the cities but also how poverty is manifested in the countryside," he said.

As the world wrestles with an unprecedented public health challenge, the UN official said it is crucial to strengthen the coordination of multilateral and multipronged interventions to eradicate poverty.

"We should continue to remind ourselves of the danger of unilateral action," Muhammad-Bande said.

"This is the way of the world, we just have to connect properly with each other. Where there are differences, we do not deny other people, we try to understand," he said.

"Respect is important, in this global village, we must respect each other. It's very fundamental to the idea of the modern world."