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UN chief: 2010 the year of the Millennium Development Goals
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is urging leaders to redouble their efforts to meet the Millennium Development Goals, or MDGs, over the next five years.
With mixed progress toward the Goals and new crises that threaten the global effort to cut in half extreme poverty, Mr. Ban said an MDG Summit to be held next year would be a crucially important opportunity to redouble efforts to meet the Goals by the agreed deadline of 2015.
In addition to cutting in half the number of people living in extreme poverty and those suffering from hunger, the MDGs include achieving universal primary education, reducing child mortality and combating HIV, malaria and other diseases.
The Secretary-General notes that the MDGs have triggered unprecedented efforts worldwide to fight poverty, hunger, disease and environmental destruction. But he said more needs to be done, especially given the growing impact of climate change, increasing global hunger, and continuing fallout from the economic and financial crisis.
Mr. Ban said he plans to make 2010 the year of the MDGs, and urged all heads of state and government to attend next year's planned MDG Summit.
Diane Bailey, UN Radio.
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