By Tim Witcher (AFP) – 1 day ago
UNITED NATIONS — World powers are moving slowly toward an accord on the strategy to be embraced at a looming United Nations summit aiming to get the lofty Millennium Development Goals back on track.
Ten years after more than 150 leaders set eight ambitious targets for 2015 — ranging from cutting child mortality rates by two thirds, to halving the number of people living in absolute poverty and spreading access to the Internet — none are likely to be reached, experts say.
Fallout from the financial crisis, a lack of will and bad policies have been blamed by aid groups and experts for the millions of children still dying needlessly from treatable illnesses, to a lack of work for the poor and inequality faced by women.
Experts are looking to presidents Barack Obama of the United States, Nicolas Sarkozy of France and other leaders at the Millennium reunion summit on September 20-22 to lay on a turbo-charged finish to the goal line.
“The final five years of the goals are going to require two things: more money to be spent and better policies,” said Peter Yeo, executive director of the Better World Campaign and a vice president of the United Nations Foundation. (Read more)
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