Presented by
UNA-USA
Greater Chicago Chapter
About Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
The Millennium Development Goals are the result of a process of consultations involving leaders, academics and non-governmental organizations which resulted in the Millennium Declaration agreed upon at the Millennium Summit in the year 2000 at the Headquarters of the United Nations in New York.
The Millennium Declaration in 2000 was a milestone in international cooperation, inspiring development efforts that have improved the lives of hundreds of millions of people around the world. The aim of the eight Millennium Development Goals is to encourage development by improving social and economic conditions in the world's poorest countries. The Goals represent human needs and basic rights that every individual around the world should be able to enjoy-- freedom from extreme poverty and hunger; quality education, productive and decent employment, good health and shelter; the right of women to give birth without risking their lives, and a world where environmental sustainability is a priority, and women and men live in equality. Leaders also pledged to forge a wide-ranging global partnership for development to achieve these universal objectives.
The 2000 Millennium Declaration recommended that 10 years later world leaders would gather again at the United Nations in New York to review progress, assess obstacles and gaps, and agree on concrete strategies and actions to meet the eight Millennium Development Goals by 2015. In 2010 leaders met again in New York to review the progress that had been made. It became obvious that the targets would not be reached by 2015 based on the pace thus far and that improvements in the lives of the poor had been unacceptably slow and that and some hard-won gains were being eroded by the climate, food and economic crises. However, it also became clear that the Goals were still achievable when nationally owned development strategies, policies and programs are supported by international development partners.
The world possesses the resources and knowledge to ensure that even the poorest countries, and others held back by disease, geographic isolation or civil strife, can be empowered to achieve the MDGs. Meeting the Goals is everyone’s business. Falling short would multiply the dangers of our world from instability to epidemic diseases to environmental degradation. But achieving the goals would put us on a fast track to a world that is more stable, more just, and more secure.
Billions of people are looking to the international community to realize the great vision embodied in the Millennium Declaration.
Let us keep that promise.
