Continuing its efforts to harness the power of sport to raise awareness about international issues and effect social change, the United Nations is partnering with volleyball to use the sport to spotlight the campaign to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Eminent personalities from the private sector, academia, governments and civil society have agreed to lead a series of targeted actions to boost the achievement of the United Nations targets to slash hunger, poverty, disease and lack of access to education by 2015.

Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro today stressed the need to protect development gains achieved so far despite the fiscal austerity measures undertaken in the wake of the global financial crisis, saying great social benefits arise from investing in poverty eradication programmes.

Kyrgyzstan is making significant progress towards key economic and social development targets but needs to do much more to tackle the spread of HIV/AIDS, the head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said today as she wrapped up a two-day visit to the Central Asian country.