Ten years ago, world leaders set out an ambitious program to fight poverty and related social problems around the globe. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were to be reached by 2015. Many of those same world leaders met Sept. 20-22 at the United Nations to assess progress toward those targets. While the results have been mixed, there is no mistaking the disappointment at the efforts by the developed world to meet those goals. Success is possible, but it is not likely — not without a considerable rededication of effort and money.
The MDGs focus on eight areas. They aim to: end extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality, reduce incidences of HIV and other diseases, curb climate change, get developed countries to help poor countries to develop, improve maternal health and reduce child mortality. To that end, national governments will enact legislation, conduct public information campaigns and make progress reports to the U.N.
Progress has been uneven. The number of people living in extreme poverty (subsisting on less than $1.25 a day) dropped from 46 percent of the population of developing countries to 27 percent from 1990 to 2005. This MDG target is within reach; even so, 920 million people will still experience extreme poverty.