Can the world end poverty in 15 years?

We examine whether the UN achieved its Millennium Development Goals, and the diamond industry's attempts to bounce back.


Fifteen years ago, leaders from across the world gathered at the United Nations in the biggest anti-poverty campaign in history.

Pledging to "spare no effort to free men, women and children from the abject and dehumanising conditions of extreme poverty," the UN tabled eight ambitious goals to be completed by September 2015.

They sought to cut of the number of people living in extreme poverty by half; bring primary education to all; promote gender equality; reduce child mortality; improve maternal health; reduce the incidence of HIV/AIDs, malaria and other diseases; promote environmental sustainability; and help develop better working relationships between governments and NGOs.