SUVA, June 10 (Xinhua) -- The Fiji National Poverty Forum started on Monday in the capital city of Suva, bringing stakeholders together to address the issue of poverty.

Organized by Fiji's Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation (MWCPA) and themed "Leaving No One Behind," the two-day forum has brought together government agencies, development partners, private sector and civil society to strengthen the collaboration, coordination and partnership among them that implement an empowerment program towards poverty alleviation.

The National Task Force Committee for Poverty Alleviation (NTCPA) established during the forum will allow for a more comprehensive and inclusive collaboration among government ministries, development partners, stakeholders and communities to ensure that development in both rural and urban areas is targeted and needs-based.

The NTCPA will enable the full length of coordinating and monitoring Poverty Alleviation programs across government, a government statement said Monday.

While delivering his opening remarks, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Resident Representative Vineet Bhatia highlighted the importance of working together to leave no one behind.

Bhatia said he pledged to leave no one behind across all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and achieving this will require coordinated and concerted effort.

Leaders in all walks of life will need to become agents of change, being willing to challenge, building national consensus on policies and finding ways forward, he said.

Echoing similar sentiments, Fiji's Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Mereseini Vuniwaqa said the forum provided opportunities to work collectively and come up with strategies that will ensure that no one is left behind.

She said to achieve this, there was a need to have an integrated social policy and monitoring frameworks that aim to progressively achieve universal coverage, while addressing the specific needs of vulnerable people through targeted policies and programs: macroeconomic and fiscal instruments that promote inclusive growth, decent work for all and reduction of inequalities."