Introduction:

In September 2000, at the United Nations Millennium Summit, world leaders agreed to a set of timebound and measurable goals and targets for combating poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women. Placed at the heart of the global agenda, they are now called the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The Summit’s Millennium Declaration also outlined a wide range of commitments in human rights, good governance and democracy.

Goals:

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Reduce child mortality
4. Promote gender equality and empower women
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Develop a global partnership for development

The UN strategy for the Millennium Development Goals:
Source: millenniumproject.org

1. The Millennium Project – analyzes policy options and will develop a plan of implementation for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The Millennium Project is directed by Professor Jeffrey Sachs who is also a Special Advisor to the Secretary General on the MDGs.
2. The Millennium Campaign – mobilizes political support for the Millennium Declaration among developed and developing countries. The campaign is led by Evelyn Herfkens, the Secretary-General's Executive Coordinator for the MDG Campaign.
3. Country-level monitoring - monitoring of the progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. This initiative is led by the UN Development Group.
4. Operational country-level activities – coordinated across agencies through the UN Development Group, which help individual countries implement policies necessary for achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

Documents:

“United Nations Millennium Declaration” (UN - A/RES/55/2)
“Road map towards the implementation of the United Nations Millennium Declaration,” (UN - A/56/326) Report of the Secretary-General: Follow-up to the outcome of the Millennium Summit.
“Implementation of the United Nations Millennium Declaration” (UN - A/57/270) Report of the Secretary-General: Follow-up to the outcome of the Millennium Summit.
“We the Peoples - The role of the United Nations in the 21st Century,” - Report of the Secretary-General.
"Harmonization of indicators and reporting on the MDGs" (document E/CN.3/2003/21).
“Status of Millennium Development Goals country reporting” (document E/CN.3/2003/22). Note by the Secretary-General.
“UN Millennium Development Goals Data and Trends, 2002” Report of the Inter-agency Expert Group on MDG indicators, April 2002.