On 6 July 2009, at the opening of the High-Level Segment of the 2009 UN Economic and Social Council’s (ECOSOC) substantive session in Geneva, Switzerland, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the Millennium Development Goals Report 2009.

The report assesses the progress towards the MDGs and warns that, despite the successes of some developing countries, overall progress has been too slow in order to meet the goals by 2015. The UN Secretary-General stressed that the food security crisis in 2008 has reversed a two-decade trend toward eliminating hunger. He noted that, with the right policies, backed by adequate funding and strong political commitment, countries are achieving significant results. Yet, he underscored that delays in delivering aid, combined with the impacts of the financial crisis and climate change, are slowing progress. He highlighted that the United Nations system is establishing a Global Impact and Vulnerability Alert System (GIVAS), which aims to fill the information gap that currently exists between the point when a global crisis impacts vulnerable populations and when solid quantitative information and analysis reaches decision makers. The GIVAS will focus on tracking vulnerabilities that are caused or exacerbated by external shocks. Partners supporting this initiative will include national governments, UN agencies, academic institutions and civil society organizations.
Links to further information
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks to ECOSOC
UN News Centre, 6 July 2009
Report