On Monday, 20 September, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon opened the Summit’s first session with an appeal to Member States to provide the necessary investment, aid and political will to meet the goals. He called the gathering “the most significant global development conference” since the UN Millennium Summit laid out the MDGs 10 years ago.

The Summit, held in New York was attended by some 140 heads of State and government who pledged in a final outcome document, “We are convinced that the Millennium Development Goals can be achieved, including in the poorest countries, with renewed commitment, effective implementation and intensified collective action by all Member States and other relevant stakeholders”. The 31-page document document touched on virtually every aspect of global issues beyond the headings of each of the eight MDGs, from human rights to corruption to climate change, focused particularly on actions, policies and strategies to support those developing countries that are lagging most behind and those goals that are most off track, thus improving the lives of the poorest people. Continue reading →