This report provides an assessment of the Millennium Development Goals;; laid out by the UN Millennium Declaration. The UN Millennium Declaration was adopted in September of 2000 as a commitment on the part of the world's leading nations to reduce poverty;; improve health and promote peace;; human rights;; and environmental sustainability. The Millennium Development Goals are specific;; measurable targets that aim to reduce extreme global poverty by the year 2015. This report analyzes the challenges and barriers to meeting these goals as of 2003;; examining the successes and failures of various nations and the gaps that exist between regions and countries with regards to economic growth and human development. This report then examines the successes and failures of public and private policies with regards to hunger;; health;; water and sanitation;; education;; and environmental sustainability. This report also analyzes the participation of civil society throughout the world and the mobilization of grassroots support for the various human development goals. Finally;; this report presents a number of recommendations on what countries can do to best support these goals.

The assessment report is a final product of the Asia and Middle East Economic Growth Best Practices project (AMEG);; which is designed to support USAID missions in developing effective and efficient economic growth programs that address technical and strategic challenges. The report provides an introduction to Jordan's macroeconomic performance and structure and examines the field assessment's key lines of inquiry such as fiscal environment;; taxation;; customs and trade facilitation;; the energy sector;; policy analysis and political economic environment. It identifies the structure and performance of each inquiry and adds policy;; administrative;; and institutional environment;; and its challenges and opportunities.The report's concluding section outlines key challenges and opportunities;; and offers recommendations. Some of the findings include Jordan's lack of robust forum for soliciting and integrating input on economic policy issues from key stakeholders or the wider public and lack of institutional capacity to develop macroeconomic models. The report suggests facilitating national dialogue and consensus building on economic policy issues and building capacity to integrate stakeholder input.