A/RES/57/266 to and transfer of technologies and corresponding knowledge, in particular to developing countries, on favourable terms, including concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed, taking into account the need to protect intellectual property rights, as well as the special needs of developing countries, by identifying and implementing practical steps to ensure the achievement of progress in that regard and to assist developing countries in their efforts to eradicate poverty in an era influenced in large measure by technology; 16. Recognizes the responsibility of all Governments to adopt policies aimed at preventing and combating corrupt practices at the national and international levels; 17. Also recognizes the importance of disseminating best practices for the reduction of poverty in its various dimensions, taking into account the need to adapt those best practices to suit the social, economic, cultural and historical conditions of each country; 18. Expresses its concern that, despite a decrease in the number of undernourished people in some developing countries during the 1990s, nearly two thirds of those countries recorded either no change or an increase in the number of undernourished people, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, and that, at current rates of progress, the target to halve the proportion of people who suffer from hunger by 2015 is likely to be achieved in some regions but not in others, including sub-Saharan Africa, unless substantially strengthened efforts are made at all levels in order to achieve food security; 19. Emphasizes the link between poverty eradication and improving access to safe drinking water, and stresses in that regard the objective to halve, by 2015, the proportion of people who are unable to reach or to afford safe drinking water and the proportion of people who do not have access to basic sanitation, as reaffirmed in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation;9 20. Recognizes that the lack of adequate housing remains a pressing challenge in the fight to eradicate extreme poverty, particularly in the urban areas in developing countries, expresses its concern at the rapid growth in the number of slum dwellers in the urban areas of developing countries, particularly in Africa, stresses that unless urgent and effective measures and actions are taken at the national and international levels, the number of slum dwellers, who constitute one third of the world’s urban population, will continue to increase, and emphasizes the need for increased efforts, with a view to significantly improving the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by 2020; 21. Welcomes the efforts made to implement the 20/20 initiative, which emphasizes that promoting access for all to basic social services is essential for sustainable and equitable development and is an integral part of the strategy for the eradication of poverty; 22. Emphasizes the critical role of both formal and non-formal education, in particular basic education and training, especially for girls, in the empowerment of those living in poverty, reaffirms in that context the Dakar Framework for Action adopted at the World Education Forum,11 and recognizes the importance of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization strategy for poverty eradication, especially extreme poverty, in supporting the Education For All programmes as a tool to achieve, inter alia, universal primary education by 2015; 23. Recognizes the devastating effect of the human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) epidemic on human development, economic growth and poverty reduction efforts in many countries, in particular sub-Saharan African countries, and urges Governments and the international community to give urgent priority to _______________ 11 See United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Final Report of the World Education Forum, Dakar, Senegal, 26–28 April 2000, Paris, 2000. 5