From Promises to Delivery: Putting Human Rights at the Heart of the Millenium Development Goals

This report focuses on three main issues – gender equality, maternal health and slums – which provide clear examples of how the MDGs and the targets set fall short of international human rights standards. These examples illustrate the gap between the current MDG targets and existing requirements under international human rights law. The issues and country examples described are repeated in many other areas and countries. The report ends with a list of recommendations to states, bilateral and multilateral development agencies, international financial institutions, and UN agencies, programmes and funds. These focus on how implementation of the MDGs between now and 2015 can be made consistent with human rights standards. They also briefly outline some of the essential elements that must be incorporated into any revised or new global framework to address poverty after 2015.