New York, 25 September 2008 – The Millennium Campaign welcomes the growing recognition at today’s High Level Meeting that the world is not moving quickly enough to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. The Campaign also welcomes the Secretary General’s pledge to reconvene a summit on the MDGs in the year 2010, at which time governments will be held to account for the promises made at today’s Meeting.

“The world is still waiting for our leaders to really deliver on their promises, but time is running out,” said Salil Shetty, Director of the Millennium Campaign. “The commitments made during today’s High Level Event have the potential to put us on track to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 – but only if they are translated into action. The cost of further delay is unacceptably high for the poor.”

The Millennium Campaign welcomes today’s $16 billion in commitments assuming they represent new and additional money and are in line with for the priorities of the governments and people of poor countries.

The Campaign expects world leaders to finally conclude the Doha round with trade rules which allow developing countries to compete on an equal footing; for rich countries to urgently put in place and make public their timetables for delivery of overseas development assistance; and for poor countries to increase accountability to their citizens.

The Millennium Campaign will intensify its efforts to support its civil society partners to monitor the delivery of these commitments on a promise-by-promise basis. This accountability process will be massively demonstrated on October 17-19th, when millions of people around the world will “Stand Up and Take Action” to tell their leaders that they expect them to deliver on the concrete commitments made in 2000 and reiterated at today’s High Level Meeting. Last year, 43 million people stood up against poverty. This year the number is expected to double. The global movement in support of the Millennium Development Goals is growing. We will no longer stay seated in the face of poverty and the broken promises to end it.

To arrange interviews with Millennium Campaign spokespeople or for more information contact:

Kara Alaimo
Kara.Alaimo@undp.org
www.endpoverty2015.org