Why Are We Losing Ground on the MDGs?

• We are falling behind in achieving the MDGs because the world economic and political trends don�t necessarily support and are often at odds with the MDG objectives.
  
  This statement, controversial as it may seem, is actually the starting point of the MDG enterprise, in that if economic and political trends were actually delivering in terms of poverty reduction, social equity and environmental sustainability, there would be no need for MDGs.
  
  
  
• We are falling behind because support for the MDGs from the rich and powerful in North and South thus far has only been lukewarm.
  
  
  
• We are falling behind in achieving the MDGs, because of the failure to address all eight MDGs in a simultaneous and mutually reinforcing way.
  
  A problem that is most evident in the marginal consideration given thus far to MDG 7, ensuring environmental sustainability.
  
  Fundamentally, governments have not acknowledged the linkages between environment and poverty reduction. In fact agriculture and resource based activities constitute the foundations of rural livelihoods, illustrating a close relationship between the welfare of the rural poor and the availability of soil fertility, energy, water and other essential goods. Short changing such environmental functions has undercut achievement of the MDGs.