UNITED NATIONS — At the dawn of the new millennium, world leaders pledged to tackle poverty, disease, ignorance and inequality — and went beyond generalities to commit themselves to specific goals. Progress has been made over the past decade, but many countries are still struggling to meet the 2015 target.
On Monday, another summit will open in New York to review what has, and hasn't, been done.
"These Millennium Development Goals are a promise of world leaders," says Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who invited leaders of the 192 U.N. member nations to the three-day summit. "They're a blueprint to help those most vulnerable and poorest people, to lift them out of poverty. This promise must be met," he said in an interview with The Associated Press.
But recent reports show that the world's poorest countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, have made little headway in eradicating poverty. Africa, Asia and Latin America have seen a lack of progress in reducing mother and child deaths, boosting access to basic sanitation, and promoting women's equality.
Amnesty International Secretary-General Salil Shetty said some goals will likely be met, but the poorest are going to be left out, partly because so many governments are not accountable to their people.
"The poorest people ... are the ones without a voice. They're the ones without water, sanitation. They're the ones that are at the receiving end of violence," he told AP, and if the issue of accountability isn't sorted out "we'll be having the same conversation in 2015".
Ban warned that the global economic crisis is making matters worse and that although aid to developing countries is at an all-time high, it is still $20 billion short on commitments for this year, of which $16 billion was reserved for Africa.
Associated Press
