| ..Press
Release................................
UNESCAP News Services |
Date 13
June 2005
Press Release No: N/27/2005
ASIA-PACIFIC LAUNCH OF THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT
GOALS REPORT 2005
Roundtable Briefing with Executive Secretary
of UNESCAP Mr. Kim Hak-Su
Bangkok (UN Information Services) -- The latest
United Nations report card on the world’s progress to
meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) shows Asia has
done an impressive job halving poverty, but development is uneven.
“The Millennium Development Goals Report
2005” is a compilation of the most up-to-date data possible
on world progress on the eight goals from 25 UN and international
bodies. It shows that while there has been a massive, unprecedented
reduction in poverty worldwide since 1990, led by Asia, the
region still lags behind in other areas.
The number of people in Asia living on less than $1 a day dropped
by nearly a quarter of a billion from 1990 to 2001, but impressive
economic development has not translated to better standards
of living, even in the fast-growing economies of the Eastern
and South-Eastern sub-regions.
The Asia-Pacific region still has high levels
of people living with poverty and hunger, child mortality, maternal
deaths, slum dwellers, children out of school and girls and
women with less opportunity. Combine this with our failure to
combat diseases including HIV/AIDS and our mismanagement of
the environment and we face a difficult roadmap to achieving
the MDGs.
THE 2005 MDG REPORT CARD: HARD FIGURES
ON ASIA-PACIFIC, 1990 to 2002:
The MDGs are a set of eight simple but powerful
objectives addressing peace, security, development and human
rights. The Report will inform those at the 2005 World Summit
in September at the UN Headquarters, when leaders will decide
how to achieve the MDGs. The UN Economic and Social Commission
for Asia and the Pacific and the UN Development Program have
a joint MDG Centre to assist countries in implementing poverty
reduction strategies.
NOTE TO EDITORS: You or your representatives
are cordially invited to attend the roundtable briefing by Executive
Secretary of UNESCAP Mr. Kim Hak-Su for the Asia-Pacific launch
of the Millennium Development Goals Report 2005 on Wednesday,
15 June 2005, at 11.00-11.45 a.m., the United Nations Building,
Level 15, Conference Room Block A, Rajdamnern Nok Avenue, Bangkok.
Please call Penny Lake on 070 348 753 on Wednesday
if you experience difficulties.
Please RSVP via email to Penny Lake at lakep@un.org or by phone/message
to 02-288 1869.
For further information please contact:
UN Information Services Bangkok
Tel: +(66-2) 288-1861-69, Fax: +(66-2) 288-1052
E-mail: unisbkk.unescap@un.org
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