Category: Millennium Development Goals

The United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are the eight goals set by the 189 UN member states in September 2000 and agreed to be achieved by the year 2015. The Millennium Declaration was signed at the September global summit held at the UN headquarters in New York and the 149 international leaders in attendance committed to combating disease, hunger, poverty, illiteracy, discrimination against women and environmental degradation. The MDGs were derived from this Declaration, and specific indicators and targets were attached to them.

The following are the eight Millennium Development Goals:

1. to eliminate extreme poverty and hunger;
2. to achieve global primary education;
3. to empower women and promote gender equality;
4. to reduce child mortality;
5. to promote maternal health;
6. to fight malaria, HIV/AIDS, and other diseases;
7. to promote environmental sustainability; and
8. to develop a universal partnership for development.

The implementation of these eight chapters of the Millennium Declaration was agreed to begin in 1st January 2001, and the UN agreed to be holding such summits every five years to assess its progress towards achieving the MDGs. The first follow-up to the Millennium Summit was held in 2005 at the 2005 World Summit.

Since 2001, the UN has given a lot of priority to the implementation of these MDGs, and though most of the targets had not been achieved by 2015, a substantial positive progress has been recorded over the 15 years.

Millennium Development Goals Infographic

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At the start of the new millennium, global leaders gathered at the United Nations to work on an expansive vision to fight poverty in its multiple dimensions. That vision was translated into eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that have been a milestone in national and universal development priorities for the past 15 years.

As the end of the MDG period approaches, the global community has reason to celebrate. Thanks to resolute global, regional, national, and local efforts, the MDGs have not only saved the lives of millions, but also improved the conditions for many more.

Nearly all of the eight MDGs have been achieved before the final 2015 deadline, or were very near to hitting the targets, though progress has been uneven within and across regions and countries. As such, further efforts and an even stronger global partnership for development is necessary to accelerate progress in the post-2015 era.

Post-2015 sustainable development goals

The Global Goals build on the eight MDGs anti-poverty targets to ensure that no one is left behind. Here is a look at what has been achieved and what the Global Goals will strive to achieve: (more…)