Most countries will fall short on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) globally agreed with a due date of 2015, according to a report released here Monday.
Though much of the world is set to cut extreme poverty in half by the year, prospects are grave for the goals of reducing child and maternal mortality, with serious shortfalls also likely in primary school completion, nutrition, and sanitation, said Zia Qureshi, leading author of the Global Monitoring Report 2008.
Progress towards the MDGs differs dramatically across countries, regions, and income groups, said the report. Sub-Saharan Africa lags on all countries, including the goal for poverty reduction, though many countries in the region are experiencing improved growth performance. At the country level, most countries are off track to meet most MDGs, with those in fragile situations falling behind most seriously.
The report calls developing countries for addressing the links between growth, development and environmental sustainability. It also lays out an integrated six-point agenda with strong and inclusive growth at the top.
The agenda calls for more effective aid, a successful outcome to the Doha round of trade talks, more emphasis on strengthening programs in health, education and nutrition, and stronger financing and technology transfer to support climate change mitigation and adaptation.