Everywhere I go, I see the same compassion for people who live half a world away. I see the same concern about events beyond these borders. And, increasingly, I see the same conviction that we can and we must join together to stop the scourge of AIDS and extreme poverty. — Bono
What are the Millennium Development Goals? At the United Nations Millennium Summit in 2000, 191 Heads of Government pledged to end poverty by 2015. They signed the Millennium Declaration, promising to “free men, women and children from the dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty,” committing developed and developing countries alike to eight Millennium Development Goals. These goals include:
- Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
- Achieve universal primary education
- Promote gender equality and empower women
- Reduce child mortality
- Improve maternal health
- Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
- Ensure environmental sustainability
- Create a global partnership for development with targets on aid, debt and trade