“No new promises are needed—only following through on
commitments already made.” — UN Millennium Project The world has
an unprecedented opportunity to realize the promise of equality
and freedom from want. During the next decade, hundreds of
millions of people can be released from the stronghold of
poverty. The lives of 30 million children and 2 million mothers
can be spared.(1) The spread of AIDS can be reversed. Millions
of young people can play a larger role in their countries’
development and, in turn, create a better world for themselves
and generations to come. Gender equality and reproductive health
are indispensable to the realization of this promise. In the
year 2000, leaders from 189 countries met at the United Nations
Millennium Summit and forged a unique global compact to reduce
poverty. From the Summit’s declaration, eight Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) were derived, with 2015 set as the date
for their achievement. In 2002, the UN Millennium Project
brought together more than 250 leading exp