AFRICA OFF-TRACK TO MEETING GLOBAL ANTI-POVERTY TARGETS, SAYS MIGIRO

AFRICA OFF-TRACK TO MEETING GLOBAL ANTI-POVERTY TARGETS, SAYS MIGIRO
New York, Jun 6 2007 3:00PM
Despite faster growth and strengthened institutions, Africa remains off-track to meeting the world's shared goals for fighting poverty in all its forms, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro said today, urging international support for the continent.

Presenting an <"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/docs/MDGafrica07.pdf">update on sub-Saharan Africa's progress towards obtaining the Millennium Development Goals (<"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDGs) – a set of global anti-poverty and development targets to be achieved by 2015 – Ms. Migiro said the summit of the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized nations, currently meeting in Heiligendamm, Germany, provides an opportunity for donor countries to lay out concrete timetables for how they will increase development assistance to African countries.

Speaking to reporters in New York, she said the latest data compiled by the UN showed that "challenges remain daunting, yet progress is emerging."

The rise in extreme poverty – the number of people living on less than one dollar a day – has levelled off since 1999, primary school enrolment is increasing in countries like Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, and malaria control has been achieved in Niger, Togo and Zambia, Ms. Migiro noted.

Among the challenges, she cited "shockingly high" maternal mortality rates, and the fact that the number of new HIV/AIDS cases is still rising faster than the rate at which new treatment is being offered.

All of the challenges, she said, can be addressed using resources, skills and technologies that the international community has at its disposal, based on the commitments made by African Governments and the donor community alike.

She added that recent experience has demonstrated that large-scale progress towards reaching the MDGs is possible through strong government leadership combined with adequate financial and technical support and market access opportunities from international partners.

"While money will not solve everything," added Guido Schmidt-Traub, head of the MDG Support Team at the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the lack of financing in Africa clearly contributes to a situation in which "the number of countries on track to achieving the MDGs is zero today."
2007-06-06 00:00:00.000

___________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/

_______________________________

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/