Global Monitoring Report 2005 : Millennium Development Goals— From Consensus to Momentum

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Monterrey Consensus have created a powerful global compact for development. But the continued credibility of this compact hinges on fostering momentum in its implementation. With the five-year stocktaking of the implementation of the Millennium Declaration focusing increased global attention on development, 2005 is a crucial year to build momentum. The MDGs set clear targets for eradicating poverty and related human deprivations, and for promoting sustainable development. The Monterrey Consensus created a framework of mutual accountability between developing, and developed countries in the quest for these goals, calling on developing countries to improve their policies and governance, and, developed countries to open their markets and provide more and better aid. With consensus on the goals and responsibilities for action, the focus was on implementation. As reviewed in this report, both groups of countries have made progress on needed policies and actions, including in the past year. But progress has been uneven and slower than envisaged. The pace must pick up if the vision of the Millennium Declaration is to be realized-hence the title of this report. Based on its analysis, the report proposes a five-point agenda to accelerate progress toward the development goals. Within its global coverage, this year's Global Monitoring Report has a special focus on Sub-Saharan Africa-the region that is farthest from the development goals and faces the toughest challenges in accelerating progress. But much of the analysis of Sub-Saharan countries is relevant to similar countries in other regions.