Today, we stand at a unique moment of opportunity. At last count in 2010, 1.4 billion people, or 20.6 percent of the world population, remained in extreme poverty; however, that was down from 43.1 percent in 1990. In the last two decades, the world has seen unprecedented progress, with countries from Vietnam, Bangladesh and Moldova to Ethiopia, Ghana and Guatemala making historic gains. Progress was achieved in part through rapid economic growth in many developing countries, particularly in Asia.