FEATURE: UN conference revisits poverty goals

More than 2,000 delegates from 70 countries are in Melbourne for a major United Nations health conference, the first of its kind to be held in the Asia Pacific region.

Last Updated: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:50:00 +1000

The world is just five years away from a United Nations deadline to halve global poverty, but many are doubtful that will be achieved.

Reducing infant deaths is one of eight Millennium Development Goals that world leaders agreed on ten years ago with the aim to halve world poverty by 2015.

Reverend Tim Costello, CEO of World Vision, says the world is off track to reach the goals.

"The good thing about the Millennium Development Goals is that we know we're off track and it gives us therefore the power to appeal to governments like Australia and say keep your promises," he said.

The world is also falling short in the areas of HIV/AIDS, malaria and maternal health.

Kiyo Akasaka, the UN Under-Secretary-General, who is attending the conference, agrees.

"In sub-Sahara Africas, most of the countries may not be able to achieve all of the eight Millennium Development Goals and so we have got to make a further push.

It's the third time the conference has been held outside of New York, and a first for the Asia Pacific region, says convenor Philip Batterham.

"We hope that the impact will be the greatest that any conference has ever had, because this is the biggest issue," he said.

"This is an issue of justice, it's an issue of how most of the people in the world live."

Kiyo Akasaka says following the conference, non-government groups will present an appeal to a UN summit in New York next month, calling for more action.

"I think about 2,000 representatives of NGOs will come up with an appeal to the world leaders that further efforts have got to be exerted," he said.

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