Overall Theme
BioVision enters a new phase of dynamic change
BioVision - The World Life Sciences Forum enlarges its capacity to serve as a global platform for dialogue and vigorous debate between Science, Society and Industry leading to concrete recommendations for action. To achieve this action oriented agenda, BioVision introduced a new architecture including a series of pre-conferences in 2006, to catalyze and develop debate topics for the March 2007 Forum. The "fil rouge" for this Forum was: "The Contribution of Life Sciences to the Millennium Development Goals" In 2000, at the United Nations Assembly, 189 world heads of State and Government agreed to a set of time bound and measurable goals and targets for combating poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women. Now called the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), they provide a framework not only for the UN system and Governments, but also for industry, science and civil society to work coherently together towards a common challenge. BioVision took a proactive leadership role in stimulating the appropriate contribution of Life Sciences to achieve these Goals. Two-thirds of the 2007 Forum sessions were dedicated to addressing the Millennium Development Goals and one-third to the cutting edge developments in Life Sciences. Millennium Development Goals "We will have time to reach the Millennium Development Goals - worldwide and in most, or even all, individual countries - but only if we break with business as usual. We cannot win overnight. Success will require sustained action across the entire decade between now and the deadline. It takes time to train the teachers, nurses and engineers; to build the roads, schools and hospitals; to grow the small and large businesses able to create the jobs and income needed. So we must start now. The Millennium Development Goals to be achieved by 2015:
And we must more than double global development assistance over the next few years. Nothing less will help to achieve the Goals."
United Nations Secretary-General - Kofi A. Annan
1.2 billion People still live on less than $1 a day. But 43 countries, with more than 60 per cent of the world's people, have already met or are on track to meet the goal of cutting hunger in half by 2015.
113 million children do not attend school, but this goal is within reach; , for example, should have 95 per cent of its children in school by 2005.
Two-thirds of the world's illiterates are women, and 80 per cent of its refugees are women and children.
Since the 1997 Microcredit Summit, progress has been made in reaching and empowering poor women, nearly 19 million in 2000 alone.
11 million young children die every year, but that number is down from 15 million in 1980.
In the developing world, the risk of dying in childbirth is one in 48. But virtually all countries now have safe motherhood programmes and are poised for progress.
Killer diseases have erased a generation of development gains. Countries like , , and have shown that we can stop HIV in its tracks.
More than one billion people still lack access to safe drinking water; however, during the 1990s, nearly one billion people gained access to safe water and as many to sanitation.
Too many developing countries are spending more on debt service than on social services. New aid commitments made in the/ first half of 2002 alone, though, will reach an additional $12 billion per year by 2006.
