2009 was a critical year for poverty reduction. While the world is approaching the last five years before the 2015 deadline for achieving the MDGs, the global economic, climate and food crises are threatening to slow or even to reverse gains in human development in some countries.

Through its work within the Practice Architecture and in collaboration with various partners, the Poverty Practice has supported not only the acceleration of attainment of the MDGs but also progress in human development – and this, in the context of several crises. The Poverty Practice has focused on maximizing the contribution of growth, employment, social policies, and global economic integration to long-term human development and resilience. It has also contributed to the development of corporate strategies and shaped the global agenda more favorably for the achievement of the MDGs by 2015. This report provides a summary of the main results.