Ghana

At the close of the 20th century, governments around the world agreed on a set of common goals for developing countries, known as the Millennium Development Goals. These goals pave the way forward, from this moment to the year 2015, to cut world poverty by half. With the accomplishment of these goals, billions more people can benefit from the global economy. Tens of millions of lives can be saved.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight goals to be achieved by 2015 that respond to the world's main development challenges. The MDGs are drawn from the actions and targets contained in the Millennium Declaration that was adopted by 189 nations-and signed by 147 heads of state and governments during the UN Millennium Summit in September 2000.

The eight MDGs break down into 21 quantifiable targets that are measured by 60 indicators

Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education

Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women

Goal 4: Reduce child mortality

Goal 5: Improve maternal health

Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability

Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development

The MDGs provide a framework for the entire UN system to work coherently together towards a common end. With the position of the record keeper for the MDGs, UNDP ensures that all interventions organised within the UN System aim to help countries achieve their MDG targets. UNDP's work on the MDGs focuses on:

•Campaigning & mobilisation: Supporting advocacy for the MDGs and working with partners to mobilise the commitments and capabilities of all sectors of society to build awareness on the MDGs;

•Analysis: Researching and sharing best strategies for meeting the MDGs, in terms of innovative practices, policy and institutional reforms, means of policy implementation, and evaluation of financing options;

•Monitoring: Helping countries report advancement towards the MDGs and track progress;

•Operational activities: providing assistance to support governments to tailor MDGs to local circumstances and challenges; address key constraints to progress on the MDGs.  

The Millennium Development Goals are time-bound and targeted they have a set beginning and end date, and they have set outcomes and achievements in order to tackle extreme poverty in its many dimensions: income poverty, hunger, disease, inadequate shelter, and exclusion. At the same time the goals have been created to promote gender equality, education, and environmental sustainability. They are based on the rights of every person on the planet to health, education, shelter, and security as pledged in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Millennium Declaration.

The goals also provide a framework for the entire United Nations system to work with developing countries together toward a common end -- making sure that globalization becomes a positive force for all the world's people.

The Millennium Development Goals are the most broadly supported, comprehensive, and specific poverty reduction targets the world has ever established. For the international political system, they are the platform on which development policy is based. For the billion-plus people still living in extreme poverty, the Millennium Development goals are a life-and-death issue. These goals are the means to a healthy, productive life.

How will the world look in 2015 if the Goals are achieved?

Compared with the year 2000, when the MDGs were inaugurated, more than 500 million people will be lifted out of extreme poverty. More than 300 million will no longer suffer from hunger. There will be dramatic progress in childrens health. Rather than dying before reaching their fifth birthdays, 30 million children will live. And the lives of 2 million mothers will be saved.

There is more: achieving the Goals will mean 350 million more people will have safe drinking water and 650 million more people live with the benefits of basic sanitation, allowing them to lead healthier and more dignified lives. Hundreds of millions more women and girls will go to school, have access to economic and political opportunity, and have greater security and safety.

Behind these large numbers are the lives and hopes of people seeking new opportunities to end the burden of grinding poverty and to contribute to economic growth and renewal in their respective countries.