At UN Reception, Queen Rania Stresses Importance of Achieveing MDGs in Time for Target Date

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department- New York) - Queen Rania spoke about the importance of achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), at a reception hosted by the United Nations Foundation (UNF) to mark the end of the MDG summit that took place over the past couple of days in New York.

In Her remarks, Her Majesty noted the importance of the MDGs, especially as their deadline is approaching by saying: “After two days of discussions and renewed commitments, I’m pleased that we now have a plan to achieve the MDGs. With only five years to go until our deadline, we certainly don’t have “quite enough time.”

Not disregarding all that has been achieved already, Her Majesty pointed out that there is still much that is needed, and many around the world are still in dire need: “ask the little girls who still walk miles every day to find water…or the orphans whose mothers died in childbirth leaving them to fend for themselves…or the bewildered teenagers in the throes of HIV AIDS watching their futures wither. And their narratives are what nightmares are made of.”

The event included a host of politicians, NGO directors, world leaders, and representatives from private enterprises. It also included remarks by the founder of CNN and philanthropist, Ted Turner, Sir Bob Geldof and Tommy Hilfiger.

The 2010 MDG summit concluded with the adoption of a global action plan to accomplish its eight goals by the 2015 target date and the announcement of major new commitments for women's and children's health and other initiatives against hunger, poverty and disease.