Forgotten goals
With the G20 focusing on the economic crisis, can the Millenium goals still be achieved?
Leaders of the world’s major industrial countries prepare to meet in Canada for the G20 summit.
With 19 countries plus the European Union, the forum represents 85 per cent of the global economy.
Top on the agenda of this year’s meeting is reviewing pledges made to strengthen financial regulation in the aftermath of the 2008 global economic crisis.
They are also expected to discuss the environment and climate change – issues that have been focused on by demonstrators in the streets of the host city Toronto.
There are demands that the more rich G20 nations also pay some attention to the plight of the numerous poor nations that do not belong to the club.
And Ban Ki Moon, the United Nations secretary-general, is urging the G20 to review the steps its members have made in achieving the Millenium Development Goals.
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With the current world economic crisis and as most countries are busy focusing on global economic recovery through debt reduction, little attention has been given to the long term objectives of the Millennium Development Goals.
Will they address the plight of the poorest states bearing the brunt of the crisis? And have they forgotten about their pledges made ten years ago to improve the lives of the poor by 2015?
Are the Millenium goals still important, or are they taking a back seat to current more urgent economic issues? And would world leaders risk losing popularity at home if they give more attention to fighting world poverty and hunger?
Joining the programme are Salil Shetty, the director Of the United Nations Millennium Campaign, Shenggen Fan, the director of the International Food Policy Research Institute, and Cameron Duodu, an African affairs writer.
This episode of Inside Story aired from Thursday, June 24, at 1730GMT, with repeats on 2230GMT, and the next day at 0430GMT and 1030GMT.