Sept 4 (Reuters) - The world's wealthiest countries are reneging on promises to boost development aid, threatening U.N. targets for slashing poverty by 2015, according to a U.N. report released on Thursday. A reduction in poverty is one of eight Millennium Development Goals approved in 2000 by U.N. member states and the world's top development organizations. Slow delivery of aid and a recent spike in food and energy prices are two reasons the goals are in danger of being unmet by the 2015 deadline, U.N. officials and aid agencies say. Following is a description of the goals: SLASH POVERTY AND HUNGER - Cut in half the number of people living on less than $1 a day - Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people - Halve the number of people suffering from hunger ACHIEVE UNIVERSAL PRIMARY EDUCATION - Ensure that all boys and girls get a complete primary school education PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY - Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education REDUCE CHILD MORTALITY - Reduce by two-thirds the mortality rate for children under age 5 IMPROVE MATERNAL HEALTH - Reduce by three-quarters the maternal mortality rate and achieve universal access to reproductive health COMBAT AIDS, MALARIA AND OTHER DISEASES - Halt and begin to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS - Achieve by 2010 universal access to treatment for HIV and AIDS - Halt and begin to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases ENSURE ENVIRONMENTAL STABILITY AND REVERSE LOSS OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES - Integrate principles of sustainable development into national policies and reverse loss of environmental resources - Achieve a significant reduction in the rate of loss of biodiversity by 2010 - Halve the number of people in the world without safe drinking water and basic sanitation - Improve the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by 2010 DEVELOP A GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR DEVELOPMENT - Address needs of least developed, landlocked and small-island states - Develop further an open, rule-based, predictable, nondiscriminatory trading and financial system - Deal comprehensively with developing countries' debt - Cooperate with pharmaceutical companies to provide access to affordable drugs in developing countries - Work with private sector to make available the benefits of new technologies, especially information and communications (Compiled by Louis Charbonneau; Editing by Xavier Briand)
Flood-affected people move to safer ground in a horse-cart during heavy rain at Murliganj village of Madhepura district in the eastern Indian state of Bihar, September 4, 2008. Authorities in one ...
