The Millenium Development Goals in brief
After focusing objectives on economic growth during the UN Development Decades of the 1960’s, ’70’s and ’80s, the Human Development Report issued in 2000, advocated in favour of goals placing human well-being and poverty reduction at the centre of global development objectives.
In September 2000, the world’s leaders gathered at the UN Millennium Summit, and 147 heads-of-state and governments and 189 nations in total adopted the United Nations Millennium Declaration of 2000. 
See the Declaration. (PDF, 64KB)
Embedded in that declaration, 8 goals known as " the Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s)" set 18 clear numerical time-bound targets for making concrete progress before 2015, by tackling the most pressing issues faced by developing countries. See targets
The Millennium Development Goals and Targets are being recommended as voluntary minimum targets for all countries. They are interrelated and should be seen as a whole. Indicators (48) have been set up to monitor progress towards the achievement of these goals and targets. See indicators
Intermediate milestones for 2005 and 2010 have been set at both national and global levels (as well as sub-national levels where appropriate). Progress at both levels should be monitored and evaluated in terms of these intermediate milestones.
next >>
