In September 2000, leaders from around the world ushered in the new millennium by adopting the Millennium Declaration. The Declaration, endorsed by 189 countries, emerged as a roadmap setting out goals to be reached by 2015. Pakistan is also signatory to the Millennium declaration. These goals form the basis for national development efforts.
These eight goals are called the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). They build on agreements made at United Nations conferences in the 1990s and represent commitments by all countries to reduce poverty and hunger, and to tackle ill-health, gender inequality, lack of education, lack of access to clean water and environmental degradation.
 
The MDGs can be achieved if all actors work together and do their part with developing countries governing better, and investing in their people through health care and education and developed countries supporting them, through aid, debt relief, and fairer trade. The MDGs have been adopted by the international community as a framework for the development activities of over 190 countries in ten regions; they have been articulated into over 20 targets and over 60 indicators.