Halfway to the target date, concern is mounting that many Millennium Development Goals could be missed
In 2000, world leaders pledged to boost living standards by achieving eight UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)—covering poverty, health, education, gender, and the environment (see Box 1)—by 2015. Although much progress has been made on some fronts, many of the goals remain out of reach for most regions and countries.
The Millennium Development Goals
1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Develop a global partnership for development
Is it now too late to turn the situation around? Not yet. Most MDGs remain achievable for most countries if both they and their development partners make stronger efforts. With that in mind, a series of high-level international meetings are planned for the second half of 2008—keying off the midterm report card—to try to reenergize the effort to achieve the MDGs. This article examines where progress is and isn't being made, and why.
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