Breaking the cycle of poverty in achieving the MDGs

A bold and ambitious agenda was set forth in the Millennium Development Goals to raise the quality of life of all individuals and promote human development. The MDGs represent our collective aspirations for a better life and provide a minimum road map on how to get there. However, they can only be achieved if Governments, civil society and international agencies work together to address population issues as a development priority, in particular to secure the reproductive health and rights of people, especially the poor and particularly women. This vision is contained in the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), which was adopted by 179 Governments in 1979. The ICPD goal of universal access to reproductive health by 2015 is a target in the MDG monitoring framework, under MDG 5 to improve maternal health. Access to reproductive health can have a powerful impact on development, not only to improve maternal health but also to achieve all the MDGs.