Millennium Campaign

Introduction

The Millennium Campaign informs, inspires and encourages people’s involvement and action for the realization of the Millennium Development Goals. An initiative of the United Nations, the Campaign supports citizens’ efforts to hold their government to account for the Millennium promise.

The Campaign was launched in October 2002, two years after 189 government leaders from the highest political level of almost every country in the world agreed at the September 2000 Millennium Summit to a set of eight time-bound targets that, when achieved, will end extreme poverty across the planet.

Working at both the national and international levels, the ambition of the Campaign is to inspire a global movement to achieve the Goals and eradicate extreme poverty by 2015. Our premise is simple: we are the first generation that can put an end to extreme poverty around the world, and we refuse to miss this opportunity!

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UN ESCAP addresses MDG challenges facing Asia-Pacific in its 63rd annual session

Despite impressive economic growth, the Asia-Pacific region still faces daunting challenges in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The 62 member states of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) are gathered in Almaty, Kazakhstan for its 63rd annual session from 17 to 23 May 2007.

Government ministers from across the Asia-Pacific region have expressed support to a "road map" which aims to help the countries lagging behind to achieve the MDGs by 2015. President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan inaugurated the ministerial segment of the session.

In Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's message, delivered by Mr. José Antonio Ocampo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, he noted that "with Asia-Pacific now home to two thirds of the world's population, the level of progress achieved in your region will be a critical factor in determining whether our global efforts to reach the Millennium Development Goals will succeed or fail".

Improving health – the theme of this year's meeting – is crucial for tackling poverty, said Mr. Kim Hak-su, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP. "Half of the world's maternal deaths still occur in the region. Moreover, the region as a whole is off-track in relation to reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS, with prevalence still on the rise."

Mr. Kim observed that, while hundreds of millions of people have been lifted out of poverty, "One out of every three people lives in extreme poverty in our region."

A paper presented by ESCAP to the Commission session says that "not all developing countries are making adequate progress towards achieving the goals; and none are presently on track to meet all the goals by 2015".

"Your commitment is vital to the regional road map", Mr. Kim told the ministers. "2007 marks the midway point to 2015. It is important that the countries come together to ensure the targets are met," he said.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of ESCAP, which was established in Shanghai, China, in 1947 as ECAFE -- Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East. This is also the first time that the Commission is meeting in Central Asia.

The road-map is expected to be endorsed by the Commission session when it concludes on Wednesday, 23 May.

At a special ceremony on Tuesday, 22 May, the first Asia-Pacific MDG Media Awards will be presented to winners. The awards, jointly sponsored by ESCAP, the United Nations Development Programme and the Asian Development Bank, aim to encourage journalists to put a human face on the MDGs and to demonstrate how they are related to everyday life. The awards carry a prize of US$7,000 for winners in each category – print, radio and TV - and US$2,000 for runners up.