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Trading an end to poverty; bridging the MDG implementation gaps through Trade.

Article Excerpt
We live in an age of wonders. From nano-surgery to space stations, networking sites to solar cells, Internet start-ups to smart capital, the world is a more connected, attractive and safe place than was dreamed possible, even fifty years ago. People live longer, healthier lives, with unprecedented social and political freedoms. Yet, in spite of these achievements, perhaps the greatest wonder is that so much of the world does not share in them. The poorest people still lose one in five children under the age of five, often to preventable diseases, drink unsafe water and have little or no access to basic education or the opportunities to better their lot. Poor women are much more likely to die in childbirth and are even less educated than men.

Our moral imperative to bridge these gaps is obvious and acknowledged in the 2000 Millennium Declaration, signed by 147 world leaders, to reduce poverty significantly by 2015. The resulting Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) clearly spell out the world's main development challenges that are linked to poverty, including hunger, child mortality and gender inequality. It is also clear that resources are needed to tackle these challenges, but there is debate about who should provide them and how much.

Trade creates wealth. As part of the United Nations family, the International Trade Centre (ITC) is committed to meeting the MDGs....

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