Every time we release someone from the grips of poverty we defend human rights. And every time we fail, we betray human rights.
Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary-General
The Millennium Declaration was adopted at the Millennium Conference of the United Nations in September 2000 in New York. Representatives from over 189 countries, most of them state and government leaders, met for the largest summit of the United Nations to date, in order to discuss the main challenges concerning the next millennium. As a result of this meeting, the Millennium Declaration was adopted.
The declaration defines four areas of influence for international politics:
- Peace, safety and disarmament
- Development and poverty reduction
- Environment protection
- Human rights, democracy and good governance
From this declaration, eight international humanitarian goals came about that are officially known as the Millennium Development Goals (MGD’s).
