Britannia Radio

Summit on the Millennium Development Goals
20-22 September 2010

The UN Summit on the Millennium Development Goals concluded with the adoption of a global action plan to achieve the eight anti-poverty goals by their 2015 target date and the announcement of major new commitments for women's and children's health and other initiatives against poverty, hunger and disease. Visit the Summit website!

http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/

What's Going On?

Donors pledge billions to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria
Donor countries, foundations and corporations meetingat the UN on 4-5 October pledged $11.7 billion in new funding over the next three years to support the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The largest-ever pledge for the collective effort to fight the three pandemics will allow the Global Fund to further support countries as they work to meet the Millennium Development Goals related to health. “At a time when so many Governments are tightening their belts at home, these commitments send a powerful message: It shows how seriously world leaders want to do the right thing beyond their borders, too, said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Read a statement by some of the MDG Advocates.

UN secures $40 billion for women’s and children’s health
At the UN Summit on the Millennium Development Goals, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon kicked off a major concerted worldwide effort to accelerate progress on women's and children's health. With pledges of more than $40 billion over the next five years, theGlobal Strategy for Women's and Children's Health has the potential of saving the lives of more than 16 million women and children. "We know what works to save women’s and children’s lives, and we know that women and children are critical to all of the MDGs," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said. "The 21st century must and will be different for every woman and every child."

Extra push needed on aid, trade, debt to meet anti-poverty goals
As world leaders prepare to meet next week for a summit to boost progress on the Millennium Development Goals, a new UN report, The Global Partnership for Development at a Critical Juncture, finds serious gaps in the realization of commitments only five years away from the deadline for achieving the Goals.

Celebrities join push for action on the Millennium Development Goals
Antonio Banderas, Angelique Kidjo, Zinedine Zidane,Maria Sharapova and Annie Lennox are among the UN Goodwill Ambassadors and Messengers of Peacewho have been and will continue to champion the cause of the Millennium Development Goals. "I thank these outstanding leaders for joining our push to advance progress towards the Millennium Development Goals," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said. "They are household names who are bringing the message of global justice and solidarity to homes and communities around the world."

UNICEF highlights need to focus on most disadvantaged children
Investing first in the world’s most disadvantaged children and communities can save millions of lives and help spur progress towards achieving internationally agreed development targets, according to a new study by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). “Our findings challenge the traditional thinking that focusing on the poorest and most disadvantaged children is not cost-effective,” said Anthony Lake, UNICEF’s Executive Director.

Eminent personalities to help mobilize global action on the MDGs
To galvanize support for the Millennium Development Goals, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has established an MDG Advocacy Group of eminent personalities who have shown outstanding leadership in promoting the implementation of the Goals. The Group will support the Secretary-General in building political will and mobilizing global action to make the MDG Summit a turning point in the collective effort to achieve the Goals by the 2015 target date.

Millennium Development Goals Report 2010
"It is clear that improvements in the lives of the poor have been unacceptably slow, and some hard-won gains are being eroded by the climate, food and economic crises," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in the foreword to the Millennium Development Goals Report 2010, issued on 23 June. But the report also cites big gains in cutting the rate of extreme poverty, getting children into primary schools, addressing AIDS, malaria and child health, and a good chance to reach the target for access to clean drinking water.
Press materials

UN Reports lay out how MDGs can be achieved
Based on evidence from over 50 countries, an International Assessment by the UN Development Programme -- "What will it take to achieve the MDGs" -- lays out an eight-point action agenda to reduce global poverty and advance sustainable development. Two publications by the UN Development Group --MDG Good Practices and Thematic Papers on the MDGs -- present almost 200 good practices from 75 different countries and identify promising experiences in country efforts to move towards the various Goals. A synthesis of evidence from around the world -- The path to achieving the MDGs -- looks at lessons learned from 34 country reports. And a Millennium Development Goals Report Card, "Measuring Progress Across Countries," reveals that many of the poorest countries are making the most progress.

World Cup TV spot calls for kicking out poverty
To kick off the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Didier Drogba and Zinedine Zidane, Goodwill Ambassadors for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), make an urgent appeal against poverty in a TV spot produced by UNDP. “The World Cup brings people around the globe together to support their national teams; we need the same kind of passion to end poverty and hunger,” says Zidane, former French national team captain. “There can be no spectators in the fight against poverty. We all need to be on the pitch to improve the lives of millions of poor people in this world,” Chelsea striker and Cote d’Ivoire national team captain Drogba ads. Watch the spot!

Music Stars Team Up to Score 8 Goals for Africa
Eight of Africa's best known musical talents are now lending their voices in support of the UN campaign for the Millennium Development Goals. "8 Goals for Africa" features Yvonne Chaka Chaka from South Africa, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Angelique Kidjo from Benin, Oliver Mtukudzi from Zimbabwe, Eric Wainaina from Kenya, Baba Maal from Senegal, and the Soweto Gospel Choir from South Africa. World renowned jazz musicians Hugh Masekela and Jimmy Dludlu from South Africa are instrumentalists on the track produced by Arthur Baker from the U.S.