Ban Ki-moon Calls for Accelerated Action with 1,000 Days to Go on Millennium Development Goals

New York, 3 April — The United Nations and its partners around the world will observe the 1,000 days to the end of 2015 – the target date for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – during the next week to inspire further action.

“The MDGs are the most successful global anti-poverty push in history,” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said. “The Goals have helped set global and national priorities, mobilize action, and achieve remarkable results.”  

The eight time-bound MDGs address poverty and hunger, education, gender equality, child mortality, maternal health, combatting AIDS, malaria and other diseases, environmental sustainability and a global partnership for development.  

Starting 5 April, the actual milestone date, and running through 12 April, the UN will work with governments, civil society and international partners to mark “MDG Momentum: 1,000 Days of Action” in a variety of ways.

In Madrid, Spain, the Secretary-General and young people from the Spanish and European Youth Councils are observing the moment at a special event on 4 April, joined by a number of heads of UN agencies, funds and programmes who are visiting for a senior-level UN meeting.  

Since the MDGs were adopted by all UN Member States in 2000, governments, international organizations and civil society groups around the world have helped make tremendous progress to improve people’s lives. The world’s extreme poverty rate has been cut in half since 1990. A record number of children are in primary school — with an equal number of girls and boys for the first time. Maternal and child mortality have dropped. The world continues to fight killer diseases, such as malaria, tuberculosis and AIDS. Since 1990, two billion more people have gained access to safe drinking water.

To build on this success and accelerate action, the Secretary-General called on the international community to: increase targeted investments in health, education, energy and sanitation; empower women and girls; focus on the most vulnerable people; keep up aid commitments; and re-energize efforts from governments to grassroots groups to make a difference.

“The MDGs have proven that focused global development objectives can make a profound difference,” Mr. Ban said. “Success in the next 1,000 days will not only improve the lives of millions, it will add momentum as we plan for beyond 2015 and the challenges of sustainable development.”  

Media contacts:
Wynne Boelt, boelt@un.org, 212-963-8264; Pragati Pascale, pascale@un.org,
212-963-6870 – UN Department of Public Information