With water among the three MDGs achieved, sanitation is still far behind, says the report by the United Nations  in Zaragoza on 2 July 2012.

The Millennium Development Goals Report  2012 was launched in New York by the Secretary-General on 2 July 2012. The report presents the yearly assessment of global progress towards the MDGs, highlighting several milestones – three important MDG targets have been met well ahead of the target date of 2015. The report says that meeting the remaining targets, while challenging, remain possible - but only if Governments do not waiver from their commitments made over a decade ago.

“Between 1990 and 2010, more than two billion people gained access to improved sources of water, such as piped supplies and protected wells, and living conditions are better for more than 200 million people in slums”, Ban Ki-moon  said. “These results represent a tremendous reduction in human suffering and are a clear validation of the approach embodied in the MDGs. But, they are not a reason to relax.

Projections indicate that in 2015 more than 600 million people worldwide will still lack access to improved water sources, almost one billion will be living in dire poverty, and hunger will remain a global challenge.”

Already five years ahead of the deadline the water related MDG 7 has been met in 2010 while the report indicates that the sanitation coverage has increased from 36% in 1990 to 56% in 2010 in developing regions. Although this is a progress, it has to be stated that nearly half of the world’s population still lack access to improved sanitation facilities.

Meeting the remaining targets, while challenging, is possible ─ but only if Governments do not waiver from their commitments made over a decade ago. “Let us build on the successes we have achieved so far, and let us not relent until all the MDGs have been attained”, Mr. Ban said.

The Millennium Development Goals Report, an annual assessment of regional progress towards the Goals, reflects the most comprehensive, up‐to‐date data compiled by an inter-agency and expert group on MDG indicators led by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat (UNDESA), in response to the wishes of the General Assembly for periodic assessment of progress towards the MDGs.

 Further information:

www.un.org/millenniumgoals