The launching will take place on the observation of United Nations Day worldwide.

The report, which gives an insight into how well Guyana is progressing toward the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), will also place Guyana on record as being the first Caribbean country to produce such a document, UNDP Representative in Guyana, Mr Jan Sand Sorensen, said yesterday.

The launch will be just one of the observances for United Nations Week celebrations in Guyana by the UNDP here, the UNDP official told a news conference he hosted at his Brickdam, Georgetown offices.

Yesterday was observed as International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, an annual occasion to reflect on the collective commitments and recognize the power of people to realize their commitments, and Mr Sorensen took the opportunity to officially announce that Guyanese Mr Jimmy Bhojedat, Executive Director, Lifeline Counselling Services, has been awarded the UNDP's Poverty Eradication Award 2003 for Latin America and the Caribbean region.

According to him, Mr Bhojedat, 23, will be bestowed with his award by UN Secretary General at the UN Headquarters, New York, this month-end, at the commemoration of International Day of Poverty 2003, the UNDP official said.

IDEP, Mr Sorensen noted, resonates with the overall goal and activities of the United Nations in Guyana, and of the international community of donors supporting the national poverty reduction strategy, and the focus this year is on the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The MDGs represent a partnership between the developed countries and the developing countries and are an ambitious agenda for reducing poverty and improving lives that world leaders agreed on at the Millennium Summit in September 2000. For each goal one or more targets have been set, most for 2015, using 1990 as a benchmark:

These eight goals are,

** Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Halve the proportion of people living on less than a dollar a day and those who suffer from hunger.

** Achieve universal primary education

** Promote gender equality and empower women

** Reduce child mortality

** Improve maternal health

** Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

** Ensure environmental sustainability

** Develop a global partnership for development

Alluding to the goal of a concerted action to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, Mr Sorensoen said the launch of the report is at an opportune time for Guyana is the recipient of a US$30M support, towards that cause.