Millennium Development Goals

“We will spare no effort to free our fellow men, women, and children from the abject and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty, to which more than a billion of them are currently subjected.”

(United Nations Millennium Declaration, 2000)

Achieving the Millennium Development Goals

In 2000, 189 world leaders, including Australia’s PM, joined together and committed to a global action plan to tackle poverty. The Millennium Development Goals, a 15 year action plan focuses on 8 goals, with 18 measurable targets. The Millennium Development Goals represent a global partnership; in which we all have shared responsibilities. Working to achieve these goals gives us a chance to build a better world for everyone. Since 2000, some progress has been made. This shows that aid DOES work and global partnerships ARE effective. But it has been slow and uneven. No region is on track to meet all the Millennium Development Goals. Our own region, Oceania, is only expected to achieve 3 of the 18 targets by 2015. We need immediate action NOW – from the grassroots level all the way to the top.

The Goals

Millennium Development Goal 1
Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger

Millennium Development Goal 2
Achieve Universal Primary Education

Millennium Development Goal 3
Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women

Millennium Development Goal 4
Reduce Child Mortality

Millennium Development Goal 5
Improve Maternal Health

Millennium Development Goal 6
Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and Other Diseases
See what we are doing to tackle HIV/AIDS.

Millennium Development Goal 7
Ensure Environmental Sustainability
See what we are doing to tackle Climate Change.

Millennium Development Goal 8
Develop a Global Partnership for Development

Secretary General speaks out
Watch inspiring speeches by the Secretary General of the Caritas Internationalis network, Lesley-Anne Knight, on how you can take action on the Millennium Development Goals.