Building on successes: The future after 2015

In September 2000, leaders of more than 180 nations came together at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly to adopt the UN Millennium Declaration and pledged their commitment to a new global partnership to reduce extreme poverty in the world. The leaders also outlined a series of time-bound targets (Millennium Development Goals or MDGs) to be achieved by 2015. The UN Millennium Project was commissioned in 2002 to develop a concrete action plan for the world to achieve the MDGs. The UN Millennium Project submitted its final report, Investing in Development: A Practical Plan to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals, in 2005. The report presented an “operational framework that will allow even the poorest countries to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.” As 2015 is just five years away, it is worthwhile to take stock of where the globe is with the eight MDGs. The UN Secretary General in the Millennium Development Goals Report 2009 summarizes that “We have made important progress in this effort, and have many successes on which to build. But we have been moving too slowly to meet our goals.” This paper provides an overview of the status of MDGs in 2010 as well as offers insights into what the challenges pertaining to the MDG themes are likely to be in 2015. The author posits that MDG 8, Develop a Global Partnership for Development, is vital to speeding up the accomplishments of all MDGs by 2015 and thereafter.