Regional Director for the United Nations Millennium Campaign for Asia and the Pacific, Minar Pimple, said the 10th year review of the MDGs would be conducted this year.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight goals to be achieved by 2015 that respond to the world's main development challenges

“This year is important for the UN because this is the 10th year review of the MDGs which was signed by 189 countries in 2000,” he said.

Mr Pimple said leaders from and the rest of the member-countries would be at the summit in September to discuss their progress.

“The summit will be about what they plan to do for accelerated achievements of the MDGs in the remaining five years.”

Mr Pimple said it would be an opportune time for the media, civil societies, women's organisations and other stakeholders to ask the right questions to their leaders on their achievements.

“On the whole I would say there are challenges in the Pacific region towards achieving the MDGs especially for Melanesian countries.

“The political commitment by the Pacific leaders for MDGs achievement has reflected in the signing of the Cairns Compact and is a very good step forward.

“We still have five years to go and there is a lot that can be done even in the remaining period and I hope that the leaders from will go with that kind of inspiration to the summit in New York,” he said.

Leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum signed the Cairns Compact during their meeting in in August last year.

The key objective of the Cairns Compact will be to drive more effective coordination of available development resources from both Forum Island countries and development partners, centred on the aim of achieving real progress against MDGs.

The MDGs are drawn from the actions and targets contained in the Millennium Declaration that was adopted by 189 nations-and signed by 147 heads of state and governments during the UN Millennium Summit in September 2000.