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Eight years ago, delegates and heads of state from 189 nations around the world gathered at the United Nations for the so-called Millennium Summit which resulted in the “United Nations Millennium Declaration.” That declaration included a list of eight development goals for poor nations, including a pledge to halve the world’s poverty rate, to be met by the year 2015. Half way between the time of the summit and the goal date, leaders are meeting today at the UN in New York to assess how far the Millennium Development Goals or MGDs have been met. Many nations have formulated concrete plans to meet the MGDs but progress has been varied and slow, particularly on the continent of Africa, home to many of the world’s poorest nations. Part of the plan to help poor nations achieve the MGDs was a pledge of serious development aid from rich nations. But those financial pledges have not been met, leading many this week at the UN to declare that unless rich nations do their part, the MGDs will not be met by 2015. The economic crisis facing the US in particular and its impact on the unfulfilled aid pledges, has been a point of discussion. I spoke yesterday with Tajudeen Abdulrahim who is the Deputy Director for Africa of the UN Millennium Campaign about how African countries were faring with their Millennium Development Goals.

GUEST: Tajudeen Abdulrahim the Deputy Director for Africa of the UN Millennium Campaign