UNDP presented the 2013 Millennium Development Goals Report
The 2013 Millennium Development Goals Report presented by UNDP last July 1st reveals the huge steps forward made by Countries from 2000 until today to fulfill their goals of fighting against poverty. The deadline to fully reach the targets is 2015: the report highlights that such goal is possible if Nations intensify their efforts.
With the Millennium Declaration, signed in september 2000, the United Nations Member States committed to fulfill eight fundamental goals within 2015: from the reduction of poverty and infant mortality to universal education, from gender equality to the prevention of HIV/AIDS and malaria, passing through environmental sustainability and global cooperation.
The Report shows how the combined actions of Governments, civil society and private sector have made notable progress in the fulfillment of the goals among which: the decrease by half of the number of people living in extreme poverty, the access to drinking water for two billions people, the reduction of death by malaria, tuberculosis and HIV infections.
According to the data presented in the Report, there are 700 millions less people living in extreme poverty; also, between 2000 and 2010, the mortality rates for malaria have decreased by more than 25 percent, saving about a million lives, while between 1995 and 2011, 51 millions people infected with tuberculosis were treated.
Other areas in which progress has been made include the reduction of the number of people suffering from malnutrition and those who live in slums. Between 2000 and 2010, indeed, 200 millions of inhabitants from the slums get access to better housing conditions, equipped with drinking water, sanitation facilities, liveable spaces, thus exceeding the goal of 100 millions set by the Millennium Goals.
However, as the Report underlines, there are still some goals far from being reached, such as gender equality or universal access to education. In particular, the goal reguarding environmental sustainability is strongly threatened by the increase of the global emissions of carbonic anhydride (plus 46% compared to 1990). Besides, the Report states that the global economic crisis has produced millions of unemployed people and has reduced the amount of help for development for countries that are most in need.
The Report, therefore, encourages States to increase their efforts, particularly in the regions showing the most difficulties, in order to achieve every goals in an equitable way within 2015.