UN Documentation: Development

In 2000, the Millennium Declaration identified fundamental values essential to international relations (A/RES/55/2). The Millennium Development Goals set targets for realizing these values around the world by 2015 and served as the focus for UN work throughout the period:

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Global partnership for development

Decades:

• 2001-2010: International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World: A/RES/53/25
• 2001-2010: Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism: A/RES/55/146
• 2001-2010: Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa: A/RES/55/284 and A/RES/60/221
• 2001-2010: Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010: A/RES/56/227
• 2003-2012: United Nations Literacy Decade: A/RES/56/116
• 2005-2014: United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development: A/RES/57/254
• 2005-2014: Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People: A/RES/59/174
• 2005-2015: International Decade for Action, “Water for Life”: A/RES/58/217
• 2006-2016: Decade of Recovery and Sustainable Development of the Affected Regions (third decade after the Chernobyl disaster): A/RES/62/9
• 2008-2017: Second United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty:  A/RES/62/205 and A/RES/63/230
• 2010-2020: United Nations Decade for Deserts and the Fight against Desertification: A/RES/62/195 and A/RES/64/201
• 2011-2020: Decade of Action for Road Safety: A/RES/64/255
• 2011-2020: Third International Decade for the  Eradication of Colonialism: A/RES/65/119
• 2011-2020: United Nations Decade on Biodiversity: A/RES/65/161
• 2011-2020: Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011-2020: A/RES/65/280
• 2013-2022: International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures: A/RES/67/104
• 2014-2024: United Nations Decade of Sustainable Energy for All: A/RES/67/215
• 2015-2024: International Decade for People of African Descent: A/RES/68/237

2000

• International Year of Thanksgiving: A/RES/52/16
• International Year for the Culture of Peace: A/RES/52/15
• UNCTAD X
  • Bangkok, 12-19 Feb. 2000
  • TD/390: Report and annexes
• 23rd special session of the General Assembly
  • New York, 5-9 June 2000
  • Topic: Women
  • A/RES/S-23/3
• 24th special session of the General Assembly
  • Geneva, 26 June-1 July 2000
  • Topic: Social Development
  • Outcome: A/RES/S-24/2
  • Report of the Secretary-General on the outcome: A/55/344
• Millennium Summit
  • Convened by A/RES/53/202 of 17 December 1998
  • New York, 6-8 Sept. 2000
  • Millennium Summit website
  • A/RES/55/2: Millennium Declaration
  • More information about the Summit and the Millennium Development Goals in the box at the right
  • We the Peoples: the Role of the United Nations in the 21st Century : Report of the Secretary-General (A/54/2000)

2001

• International Year of Volunteers: A/RES/52/17
• United Nations Year of Dialogue among Civilizations: A/RES/53/22
• International Year of Mobilization against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance: A/RES/53/132
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) third assessment report issued
• Third Conference on the Least Developed Countries
  • Brussels, 14-20 May 2001
  • Report: A/CONF.191/13
• 25th special session of the General Assembly
  • New York, 6-8 June 2001
  • Topic: Human settlements
  • A/S-25/7/Rev.1
• 26th special session of the General Assembly
  • New York, 25-27 June 2001
  • Topic: HIV/AIDS
  • Outcome: A/RES/S-26/2
• World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (3rd)
  • Durban, 31 Aug.-8 Sept. 2001
  • Report: A/CONF.189/12

2002

• United Nations Year for Cultural Heritage: A/RES/56/8
• International Year of Mountains: A/RES/53/24
• International Year of Ecotourism: A/RES/53/200
• World Summit on Sustainable Development, 26 Aug. - 4 Sept. 2002
• International Conference on Financing for Development
  • Convened by A/RES/54/196 of 22 Dec. 1999 and A/RES/55/213 of 20 Dec. 2000
  • Monterrey, Mexico, 18-22 March 2002
  • Adopted the Monterrey Consensus, contained in the report
  • Report: A/CONF.198/11 (02.II.A.7) (DPI/2329)
    • additional source material, including statements made: ST/DESA(02)/F491 (02.II.A.5)
  • First UN-sponsored summit-level meeting to address key financial and related issues pertaining to global development, a turning point in the approach to development cooperation by the international community
• World Assembly on Ageing (2nd)
  • Madrid, 8-12 Apr. 2002
  • A/CONF.197/9 (02.IV.4)
• 27th Special Session of the General Assembly
  • New York, May 2002
  • Topic: Follow-up to the World Summit for Children
  • Outcome: A/RES/S-27/2
• World Summit on Sustainable Development
  • Convened by A/RES/55/199 of 20 Dec. 2000
  • Rules of procedures: A/CONF.199/2 + Corr.1
  • Johannesburg, 26 Aug.-4 Sept. 2002
  • A/CONF.199/20 (03.II.A.1)

2003

• International Year of Freshwater: A/RES/55/196
• World Summit on the Information Society, part 1
  • Geneva, 1-2 Dec. 2003

2004

• International Year of Rice: A/RES/57/162
• International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition: A/RES/57/195
• UNCTAD XI
  • Sao Paulo, Brazil, 13-18 June 2004
  • Report and annexes: TD/412

2005

• International Year of Microcredit: A/RES/53/197
• International Year for Sport and Physical Education: A/RES/58/5
• International Year of Physics: A/RES/58/293
• Investing in Development: A Practical Plan to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals, by the UN Millennium Project (Sachs report)
• Alliance of Civilizations
  • SG/SM/10004 of 14 July 2005
• 2005 World Summit
  • New York, 14-16 Sept. 2005
  • A/RES/60/1: 2005 World Summit Outcome
  • Meeting records: A/60/PV.2-8
• World Summit on the Information Society, part 2
  • Tunis, 16-18 Nov. 2005
• International Meeting to Review the Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States
  • Convened by A/RES/57/262 of 20 Dec. 2002
  • Port Louis, Mauritius, 10-14 Jan. 2005
  • A/CONF.207/11 + Corr.1 (05.II.A.4)

2006

• International Year of Deserts and Desertification: A/RES/58/211, A/RES/60/200

2007

• Ban Ki-Moon appointed Secretary-General
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) fourth assessment report issued

2008

• International Year of The Potato: A/RES/60/191
• International Year of Planet Earth: A/RES/60/192
• International Year of Sanitation: A/RES/61/192
• International Year of Languages: A/RES/61/266
• UNCTAD XII
  • Accra, 20-25 Apr. 2008
  • Report: TD/442
  • Accra Accord and Declaration: UNCTAD/IAOS/2008/2
• Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus
  • Convened by A/RES/62/187
  • Doha, Qatar, 29 Nov. – 2 Dec. 2008
  • Adopted the Doha Declaration
  • Report: A/CONF.212/7
  • Outcome: Doha Declaration: A/RES/63/239 of 24 Dec. 2008

2009

• International Year of Reconciliation: A/RES/61/17
• International Year of Natural Fibres: A/RES/61/189
• International Year of Human Rights Learning: A/RES/62/171
• International Year of Astronomy: A/RES/62/200
• UN Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Development
  • Convened by A/RES/63/277 
  • New York, 24 - 26 June 2009
  • Report: A/CONF.214/9
  • Outcome: A/RES/63/303
• High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation (1st)
  • Nairobi, 1-3 December 2009
  • Report: A/CONF.215/2
  • Outcome: A/RES/64/222

2010

• International Year of Biodiversity: A/RES/61/203
• International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures: A/RES/62/90
• 12 Aug. 2010-11 Aug. 2011: International Year of Youth: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding: A/RES/64/134

2011

• International Year of Forests: A/RES/61/193
• International Year of Chemistry: A/RES/63/209
• International Year for People of African Descent: A/RES/64/169
• Fourth Conference on the Least Developed Countries
  • Istanbul, 9-13 May 2011
  • Report: A/CONF.219/7

2012

• International Year of Cooperatives: A/RES/64/136
• International Year of Sustainable Energy for All: A/RES/65/151
• UNCTAD XIII
  • Doha, Qatar, 21-26 Apr. 2012
  • Report: TD/500 + Add.1 + Add.2: The Doha Mandate

2013

• International Year of Water Cooperation: A/RES/65/154
• International Year of Quinoa: A/RES/66/221

2014

• International Year of Family Farming: A/RES/66/222
• International Year of Crystallography: A/RES/66/284
• International Year of Small Island Developing States: A/RES/67/206
• International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People: A/RES/68/12
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) fifth assessment report issued

2015

• International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies: A/RES/68/221
• International Year of Soils: A/RES/68/232
• Third International Conference on Financing for Development
  • Convened by A/RES/68/204 and A/RES/68/279
  • Addis Ababa, 13-16 July 2015
  • Summit website
  • Outcome document A/RES/69/313
• UN Sustainable Development Summit
  • Convened as a high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly
  • New York, 25-27 September 2015
  • Summit website
  • A/RES/70/1: includes "Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development"
• Paris Climate Conference
  • 21st Conference of the Parties (COP) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
  • Paris, 30 November-12 December 2015
  • Conference website
  • Decision 1/CP.21: Adoption of the Paris Agreement
     

These websites gather comprehensive historic information on a particular aspect of the UN and supplement this guide.

Overview of the history of the Millennium Development Goals 

Millennium Summit

• Convened by A/RES/53/202 of 17 December 1998
• New York, 6-8 Sept. 2000
• Millennium Summit website
• A/RES/55/2: Millennium Declaration
• Meeting records: A/55/PV.3-8

Millennium Declaration (A/RES/55/2) is the outcome document of the Millennium Summit.

• Contains a statement of values, principles and objectives for the international agenda for the twenty-first century
• A/RES/55/162 requested the Secretary-General "to prepare a long-term 'road map' towards the implementation of the Millennium Declaration within the United Nations system"
• Road map towards the implementation of the United Nations Millennium Declaration : Report of the Secretary-General (A/56/326) sets out the proposed Millennium Development Goals
• A/RES/56/95 "Recommends that the 'road map' be considered as a useful guide in the implementation of the Millennium Declaration ... and invites ... interested parties to consider the 'road map' when formulating plans for implementing goals related to the Declaration"
• No resolution of the General Assembly in 2000 includes the text of the goals

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Global partnership for development

Indicators

• In 2002, the Statistical Commission endorsed the recommendations of the Report of the Friends of the Chair of the Statistical Commission on an assessment of the statistical indicators derived from United Nations summit meetings
  • Report of Friends of the Chair E/CN.3/2002/26
  • Report of the Statistical Commission E/2002/24
  • Report of the Secretary General : Progress report on basic indicators for the integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to major United Nations conferences and summits at all levels (E/2002/53)
• A/RES/57/270B on "Integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits in the economic and social fields"
  • para. 29 "Reaffirms the importance of indicators in the review of the progress made in the implementation of all the commitments of the major United Nations conferences and summits"
• Reports of the Secretary-General on the Implementation of the United Nations Millennium Declaration

2005 World Summit

• Outcome: A/RES/60/1

2010 High-level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly on the Millennium Development Goals

• Outcome: Keeping the promise: united to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (A/RES/65/1)