As G8 leaders are expected to discuss Africa during this week's summit in Germany, a new UN-published brief (full text) notes that sub-Saharan Africa is not on track to achieve any of the Millennium Development Goals.

The brief was unveiled to the media on 6 June 2007 by Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro who told reporters that all of the challenges can be addressed using resources, skills and technologies that the international community has at its disposal, based on the commitments made by African Governments and the donor community alike (press conference summary).

It is now the midway point between the adoption of the Millennium Development Goals in 2000 and the 2015 target date for achieving them.

A full description of the goals is available on the UN web site.

Although there have been major gains in several areas and the Goals remain achievable in most African nations, even the best governed countries on the continent have not been able to make sufficient progress in reducing extreme poverty in its many forms, some of which are outlined in the brief.

There are some positive indicators to note as well.

The brief says that "while it is well known that the continent is the only region in the world where the number of extreme poor has risen over the past fifteen years, it may be less well known that African countries have experienced major improvements in key development fundamentals" and goes on to list some improvements and success stories.

Statistical analysis and charts in the publication are an advance excerpt from The Millennium Development Goals Report 2007, which is scheduled to come out later this month, and based on the most up-to-date and comprehensive statistics available on global and regional MDG progress.

More than 20 UN funds, programmes and agencies and other international organizations, including the World Bank and the OECD, contribute to this annual report, which is coordinated and published by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Statistics Division.