As the world population approaches seven billion people, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday said that this landmark should be a reminder of our shared responsibility, to each other and to the planet. "Later this year, a seven-billionth baby will be born into our world of complexity and contradiction," Ban said in a message to mark World Population Day, observed annually on 11 July. "We have enough food for everyone, yet nearly a billion go hungry. We have the means to eradicate many diseases, yet they continue to spread. We have the gift of a rich natural environment, yet it remains subject to daily assault and exploitation. All people of conscience dream of peace, yet too much of the world is in conflict and steeped in armaments," Ban said. The U.N. chief said the global focus should be on improving the welfare of the people by promoting the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the eight poverty reduction targets that the international community has agreed to strive to attain by 2015. "When we act on our shared values, we contribute to our common future. Ending poverty and inequality unleashes vast human potential," he said.
