United Nations ( CNN ) -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon exhorted member nations Monday not to waver from efforts to meet the Millennium Development Goals they set for themselves a decade ago with a deadline of 2015 . `` We have led you to the river , so what are we asking of you today ? '' he said to a U.N. summit on global goals to fight poverty , hunger and disease . `` To stay true , true to our identity as an international community built on a foundation of solidarity , true to our commitment to end the dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty . '' The eight goals call for halving extreme poverty and hunger and achieving full employment ; achieving universal primary education ; promoting gender equality and empowering women ; reducing child mortality by two thirds ; reducing maternal mortality by three quarters and achieving universal access to reproductive health ; beginning to reverse the spread of HIV ; ensuring environmental stability ; and developing a global partnership for development that deals with developing countries ' debt . In a report issued before Monday 's meeting , Ban said the summit is `` crucially important '' for meeting the anti-poverty goals . Progress reaching the targets has been uneven , he said , and several of the goals are likely to be missed in many countries if additional efforts are not made . The United Nations said almost 150 heads of state were expected to attend the meeting , which comes as many donor countries are tightening purse-strings in the wake of large fiscal deficits , rising debts and the global economic crisis . `` But economic uncertainty can not be an excuse for slowing down our development efforts , '' Ban said in the report . French President Nicolas Sarkozy proposed levying a tax on transactions through the world banking system and applying those funds to efforts to meet the goals . `` Why should we not as finance -- money -- to participate in stabilizing the world by being involved in imposing on each financial transaction a small tax ? '' he asked . Bolivian President Evo Morales blamed the transfer of natural resources from southern countries to those in the north for the world 's economic imbalance . `` What we should discuss at this meeting , dear presidents , heads of state and heads of delegations , is how to put an end to this pillage of resources from the south , '' he said . He called for the nationalization of natural resources `` so the dividends they generate will remain in our countries and benefit our peoples . '' He added , `` We need investors , but they can not become owners of our natural resources . The state must be the owner of these natural resources . '' Morales also called for the establishment of a bank for developing countries in the southern hemisphere , including those in Africa and Asia . The bank , if funded with a percentage of the countries ' international reserves , could help the countries `` break away from our dependency on the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank , '' he said . During the four years he has served as president , the break with the IMF and the World Bank has helped Bolivia , he said . `` Without the IMF , we 're better off than we were before , '' he said , citing eradication of illiteracy , a drop in extreme poverty from 41 percent to 32 percent and a 42 percent drop in infant mortality . But Bolivia will not be able to meet the millennium goals unless the distribution of wealth is made more equal , he said , noting that a recent U.N. report says that the poorest 40 percent of the world 's population has only 5 percent of global income , while 70 percent of world income goes to the top 5 percent of the world 's population . `` That is unfair distribution of wealth , '' he said . `` Our task should be oriented toward putting an end to this unfair distribution . '' Israeli President Shimon Peres called again for a two-state solution in the Middle East -- a Jewish state and an Arab state . `` There is no other peaceful alternative to that conflict , and I believe we shall succeed , despite the differences , '' he said . He also espoused the world body 's millennium goals . `` A hungry world will never be peaceful ; a terrorized world will never be governable , '' he said . Jordan 's King Abdullah II said his country has already achieved one of the goals -- ensuring that children in primary school stay in school , thereby ending youth illiteracy . But lack of regional peace represents a burden on development , he said . `` When warfare and violence divert resources from social needs and economic growth , economies and community life are undermined and poverty and frustration grow . '' He expressed hope that the development programs `` can help build a foundation for peace . '' The meeting to discuss Millennium Development Goals is a major item in a week that will include high-level discussions among international leaders as the U.N. General Assembly annual debate begins Thursday . U.N. officials are urging leaders to use the meetings as an opportunity to ratify dozens of international treaties ranging from protecting human rights to fighting terrorism to preserving biodiversity , a statement released by the organization said . Last year , 64 countries took 103 treaty actions , the highest participation in four years , according to the United Nations .
The Millennium Development Goals are halving extreme poverty by 2015 . The U.N. also says progress towards targets has been uneven . International leaders also will convene this week for the U.N. General Assembly 's debate .