The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight international development goals that were established following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000 by all 189 United Nations member states at the time, now 193 and at least 23 international organizations committed to help achieve a list of proposed Millennium Development Goals by 2015
The first MDG acts as the glue that binds the rest together, it focuses on eradicating extreme poverty and hunger.
The second and third MDG’s aim to ensure the achievement of a basic level of education for people all over the world, which is primary education and also promote gender equity and empower women who are often marginalized in our societies.
The 3rd, 4th, and 5th MDG’s are on health. They aim to reduce infant mortality, improve the health of pregnant women and combat disease like HIV/AIDS and malaria.
The 7th and 8th goals aim to ensure environmental sustainability and develop a global partnership for development respectively.
So far, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have been recorded as the most successful global anti-poverty push in history and the current global MDG report indicate substantial progress. However many countries were not able to attain the MDGs before the set deadline hence the need for a new set of global goals.
The sustainable development goals (SDGs) are a new, universal set of goals, targets and indicators that UN member states will be expected to use to frame their agendas and political policies over the next 15 years. The SDGs follow, and expand on,the millennium development goals (MDGs), which were agreed by governments in 2000, and expired last year. The SDGs are 17 in number and they expand on the MDGs while providing nations with the framework fo holistic development.
These are the SDGs
1) End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2) End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture
3) Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages
4) Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5) Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6) Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7) Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8) Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all
9) Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation
10) Reduce inequality within and among countries
11) Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12) Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13) Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
14) Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15) Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification and halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss
16) Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17) Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development
