U.N. MDG summit draft conclusions call for aid promise follow through, highlight progress and challenges

The draft conclusions for the U.N.'s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) summit in September, which were distributed to governments last week, call on world leaders to follow through on promises of aid money to help countries reach the benchmarks established in 2000, Reuters reports. 

According to the news service, the "14-page U.N. text … outlines a new drive to meet goals set in 2000 including halving extreme poverty, halting the spread of AIDS and ensuring primary education for all children." The draft language also addresses gender equality and access to sanitation, Reuters reports.

The text highlights progress and challenges demonstrated thus far in efforts to achieve the MDGs overall, noting particular concern over "aid to Africa," which "lags far behind commitments and needs," Reuters writes. G8 countries have fallen short of their 2005 pledge to double aid to Africa by 2010, according to the news service.

The text "said nations were 'committing to ... ensuring rapid achievement' of Gleneagles promises by raising aid 'by $35 billion a year to reach the promise of $154 billion in current values, with Africa receiving an additional $20 billion to reach the target of $63 billion for the region by 2010,'" Reuters writes. "The document said the world would also have to agree on 'a concrete and specific new time line for accelerated aid delivery' beyond 2010 to meet the 2015 goals" (Doyle, 6/9).