This book describes the importance of the millennium development goals and gives an explanation of the progress toward the goals. It provides recommendations to be implemented at the country level and presents a guide for the international system's support for the country-level processes.

Part I: Why the Goals are important and why we're falling short * The fulcrum of international development policy * The means to a productive life * A linchpin to global security * Where we stand with only a decade to go * Why progress is so mixed * Four reasons for shortfalls in achieving the Goals * Part II: Country-level processes to achieve the Goals * Designing a national strategy to achieve the Goals * Working back from the 2015 targets and timelines * Priority public investments to empower poor people * The key elements for rapid scale-up * Good governance to achieve the Goals * Part III: Recommendations for the international system to support country-level processes * Fixing the aid system * Key measures to improve aid delivery * A breakthrough in global trade * Regional and global public goods * Getting started in 2005: launching a decade of bold ambition * Part IV: The costs and benefits of achieving the Millennium Development Goals * Expanding the financial envelope to achieve the Goals * The benefits: the case for a decade of bold ambition *