The U.N. Millennium Development Goals | |||
The Issue
The Millennium Declaration of 2000 expressed the global need to uphold the principles of human dignity, equality and equity. Based on the declaration, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has worked with other U.N. departments, funds and programs, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on a concise set of goals and quantifiable indicators to assess progress. The U.N. General Assembly has approved these as part of the Secretary-General's Millennium Roadmap. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) reflect the values of the Earth Charter with a timeline and measurable benchmarks. If the MDGs are achieved by 2015, more than 500 million people will be lifted out of extreme poverty, and more than 300 million will no longer suffer from hunger. Safe drinking water will be available to 350 million more people and basic sanitation to 650 million. Hundreds of millions of women and girls will lead their lives in freedom. The Millennium Development Goals, to be achieved between 1990 and 2015, include:
Broad regions in the world are far off track for achieving the MDGs. Sub-Saharan Africa has been in a downward spiral of AIDS, resurgent malaria, falling food output per person, deteriorating shelter conditions and environmental degradation. Climate change could worsen the situation by increasing food insecurity, spreading vector-borne diseases and increasing the likelihood of natural disasters. Poor and hungry countries are much more likely than high-income societies to fall into conflict over scarce vital resources, such as watering holes and arable land - and over scarce natural resources, such as oil, diamonds and timber. Many world leaders have stressed the powerful relationship between poverty reduction and global security. Poor countries are more likely to have weak governments, making it easier for rebels to take over land and vital resources. Resource scarcity can provoke population migrations that result in conflicts between social groups. Young people may turn to violence for material gain, or out of a sense of hopelessness, despair and rage. Poor farmers may turn to narcotics production. Achieving the MDGs should therefore be placed centrally in international efforts to end violent conflict, instability and terrorism. The eight Millennium Development Goals bind countries to join forces to address these social problems. IHMs in Action If you don't have Adobe Reader, you can download the latest version here. Prayer/Reflection Materials
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