Progress towards the Millennium Development Goals is under greater scrutiny in the lead–up to the MDG Summit in New York in September 2010.
A new report released 24 June 2010, in New York by UN Secretary–General Ban Ki–moon, has found that while progress towards the MDGs has slowed, halving global poverty by 2015 is achievable.
The 2010 Millennium Development Goals Report shows that the overall poverty rate is expected to fall to 15 per cent by 2015. That means about 920 million people will be living below the international poverty line, which is half the number in 1990.
The report found that while progress is uneven, major advances had been made in getting more children in to school in many of the poorest countries, and in cutting child deaths from preventable diseases. More people in rural areas have improved access to clean water and the rate of deforestation, while still high, is slowing.
However, there are still too many undernourished children, girls out of school and women giving birth without skilled health workers.
At the Australian launch of the report, Australia's Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance, Bob McMullan, said the report was an important signpost for the summit.
'The signpost says we should be proud of what we have done. We still need to do more and we should be ambitious about what we set out to do from here. The inspirational power of the MDGs will only endure if they have our commitment and support.'
A second report released on 17 June 2010 by the United Nations Development Programme has identified eight strategies and policies that could help achieve the MDGs. These include focusing attention on the poor while expanding job opportunities, increasing government spending on social services, increasing access to low carbon energy and improving tax collection.
More information
2010 Millennium Development Goals Report [external website]
United Nations Development Programme MDG report [external website]