In September 2000, the largest-ever gathering of world leaders ushered in the new millennium by adopting the Millennium Declaration. The Declaration, endorsed by 189 countries, was then translated into a roadmap setting out goals to be reached by 2015.
The eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) build on agreements made at United Nations conferences in the 1990s and represent commitments by all countries to reduce poverty and hunger, and to tackle ill-health, gender inequality, lack of education, lack of access to clean water and environmental degradation.
Around 140 Heads of State and Government, joined by leaders from civil society organizations, foundations and the private sector, gathered to spur action against poverty, hunger and disease at the session of the High-level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly (GA) on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which was held from 20-22 September in New York.
Adopting a sweeping outcome document at the end of the high-level meeting — “Keeping the Promise: United to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals” (document A/65/L.1) — the leaders set out an action agenda to reach the Goals by 2015.