UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday called for "concrete action" to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Africa by 2015.
"The fact that we are here together to speak with one voice on the MDGs underscores the urgency we see in taking concrete action to achieve goals in Africa," Ban told reporters after hosting a meeting of MDG Africa Steering Group, which brought together leaders from major international bodies including the African Union and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
"We see important reasons to be optimistic," Ban said. "No new promises are needed to make 2008 the year of opportunity for the "Bottom Billion."
"Tremendous gains are possible if the international community translates commitment to deliverables," he said.
He pointed to examples of achievements made, such as Malawi's lowering of child mortality rates, Senegal's accomplishments in enhancing its water and sanitation facilities and Tanzania's improvements in primary education.
"The challenge is now to replicate these successes in more countries," he noted.
The MDG Africa Steering Group was set up last September after data showed that despite faster growth and strengthened institutions, Africa remains off-track to meeting the goals.
Source:Xinhua
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