According to the World Bank, preliminary estimates indicate that the global target of halving the proportion of people living in extreme poverty was achieved in 2010.
The number of people living in extreme poverty has also declined in all regions of the world, including in Africa where challenges are greatest.
A joint report by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the UN World Health Organization (WHO) showed that the world has met the MDG target of halving the number of people without access to safe drinking water.
Progress has also been made in combating tuberculosis, with 40 per cent fewer deaths currently compared to 1990.
The MDG target of significantly improving the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers has also been achieved – ten years in advance of the 2020 deadline, he said.