Millennium Development Goals

The eight Millennium Development Goals lie at the heart of DFID's work.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight specific goals to be met by 2015 that aim to combat extreme poverty across the world. These goals were created at the UN Millennium Summit in New York in 2000. The largest gathering of world leaders in history.

The Millennium Declaration, adopted by the world leaders, promised to: "free all men, women, and children from the abject and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty."

The MDGs are drawn from the Millennium Declaration. The declaration was adopted by 189 nations and signed by 147 heads of state.

The eight Millennium Development Goals are:

Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Achieve universal primary education

Promote gender equality and empower women

Reduce child mortality

Improve maternal health

Combat HIV and AIDS, malaria and other diseases

Ensure environmental sustainability

Develop a global partnership for development

Call to Action

With many of the MDGs still off track at the halfway point to 2015, the Prime Minister’s Call to Action seeks to accelerate progress.

Links

Call to Action on the MDGs - Statement at World Economic Forum 2008 Annual Meeting

How well is DFID meeting the Millennium Development promises?

mdgmonitor - Tracking the Millennium Development Goals

UN Millennium Development Goals website

MDG Monitor - How countries are progressing on the MDGs

Declaration on MDGs by heads of state

Declaration on MDGs by the private sector