The World Bank's 2007 Global Monitoring Report, Confronting the Challenges of Gender Equality and Fragile States, launched on 13 April at the World Bank-IMF Spring meetings. It assesses the contributions of developing countries, developed countries and international financial institutions (IFIs) towards the universally agreed development commitments enshrined in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The goals, which call for a halving between 1990 and 2015 of the proportion of the people living on less than $1 a day; universal primary education; a reduction in infant and maternal mortality; and ensured environmental sustainability, amongst other targets, were approved by 189 world leaders in 2000.

This year's Global Monitoring Report focuses in particular on the empowerment of women and the vulnerability of fragile states, both of which are acting to impede progress towards the achievement of the MDGs.

At this ODI and World Bank event, Mark Sundberg, Lead Economist at the World Bank and lead author of the report, and Mayra Buvinic, World Bank Sector Director for Gender, presented the findings of the report and DFID's Director of Policy and Research, Andrew Steer, offered his comments.