UN: 1 billion people are no longer living in extreme poverty, but there's more work to be done

In its final report on the millennium development goals (MDGs), the UN states that while some achievements have been made — primarily bringing more than one billion people out of extreme poverty — several other targets were not met.

The UN set a 15-year agenda to meet eight goals related to poverty, education, gender equality, child mortality, maternal health, disease, the environment, and global partnership. "The MDGs helped to lift more than one billion people out of extreme poverty, to make inroads against hunger, to enable more girls to attend school than ever before, and to protect our planet," UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said. "Yet for all the remarkable gains, I am keenly aware that inequalities persist and that progress has been uneven."

The goal of achieving universal primary education was missed (the rate rose from 83 percent in 2000 to 91 percent in 2015), as was the child mortality rate (it dropped by more than 50 percent, with the MDG goal being a decline of two-thirds). The goal of stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015 has not been met, and 663 million people still do not have access to improved drinking water. Ban said that when it comes time to set the agenda for the next 15 years, they will look at the successes and failures of the MDGs. "We need to tackle root causes and do more to integrate the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development," he said.

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