25 September 2013: The UN hosted several events featuring the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in New York, US, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) High-level Debate. The events underscored the need for concerted, accelerated action to achieve the MDGs by the 2015 deadline.

Participants in ‘The High-level Forum on Accelerating MDG-5′ on 23 September 2013 discussed how to achieve MDG 5 (improve maternal health). Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director, UN Population Fund (UNFPA), said “we know what to do,” explaining that maternal bleeding, infections, and blood pressure and unsafe abortion account for 70% of maternal deaths, with 60% of maternal deaths occurring in ten countries. Osotimehin stressed MDG 5 can be achieved on time by: focusing on universal access to reproductive health, including family planning, especially for adolescent girls; implementing strategic, innovative interventions and partnerships in key countries; and ensuring political will. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recalled the words of Mahmoud Fathalla, a women’s health and human rights champion, who said women “are dying because societies have yet to make the decision that their lives are worth saving.” Ban stressed that MDG 5 is achievable by the deadline and “one of the best investments we can make.”

The MDG Advocacy Group hosted the ‘MDG Innovation Forum,’ on 24 September, to showcase initiatives with the potential to make a large-scale impact on MDG achievement in education, health, food security and sustainable growth. Featured initiatives included: educate a child; one million community healthcare workers; capacity building of ministries; and innovation and technological advancements in education, health, job creation and youth empowerment. Opening the event, Ban underscored the importance of ideas, innovation and inspiration in realizing the MDGs. Speakers shared their ideas of development, discussed the challenges and opportunities of scaling up and ensuring sustainable funding, and described successful partnership models.

‘Fulfilling the Promise of the Millennium Declaration: The MDG Achievement Fund (MDG-F) Experience,’ on 25 September, celebrated the MDG-F’s role in accelerating MDG progress and translating global development instruments and policies into concrete results. UN Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Helen Clark praised the MDG-F for galvanizing joint work among UN agencies, which in turn facilitated coordinated, integrated responses to complex development challenges. According to Ban, the Fund: emphasized national ownership and mutual accountability; focused funding for the MDGs; illustrated the role of partnerships in achieving development actions; enhanced development effectiveness; and strengthened UN coordination on the ground.

Lessons learned from MDG-F implementation in over 50 countries in the MDG’s eight thematic areas are expected to help inform the post-2015 agenda. The Government of Spain and UNDP launched the MDG-F in 2007. [UNFPA Press Release on MDG 5 Event] [Statement of UN Secretary-General on MDG 5] [MDG Innovation Forum Event Description] [Statement of UN Secretary-General at MDG Programme] [MDG-F Event Concept Note] [Statement of UN Secretary-General on MDG-F] [Statement of UNDP Administrator on MDG-F] [UNESCO Press Release on MDG-F Event]