MDG Summit: "UN Summit on the Millennium Development Goals"

What has become known as the ‘MDG Summit’ - referred to in official documents as the ‘High-level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly’ – will take place from 20-22 September 2010 at the UN Headquarters in New York. With only five years left until the 2015 target date to achieve the Millennium Development Goals the Summit will bring together world leaders to review progress, identify gaps, and commit to a concrete action agenda to achieve the MDGs and internationally agreed development goals. Leaders from civil society, foundations and business are also expected to announce new initiatives to accelerate progress. In addition to statements by world leaders and round tables on key issues, a number of high-profile side events are expected to focus on specific initiatives.

 

The summit is conceived by UN Member States as a significant opportunity to reaffirm commitment, rally support and initiate collective action in order to reach the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. The summit will focus on accelerating progress towards the achievement of all the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, taking into account the progress made with regard to the internationally agreed development goals, through a comprehensive review. Likely, the meeting will result in the adoption ofa concise and action-oriented outcome to be agreed by Member States.

 

As a preparation for the Summit the European Commission is stressing the needfor an increased focus on access to water, as the achievement of other UN development goals depends on it. The European Parliament's Intergroup on Water agreed that access to water and sanitation is indeed a prerequisite for achieving other MDGs and should be put higher on the agenda. This year's mid-term review of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) presents an opportunity to integratea comprehensive water strategy into development strategies across the world.