Part II Chapter 1

1. Read the following text

"We will have time to reach the Millennium Development Goals – worldwide and in most, or even all, individual countries. But we cannot win overnight. Success will require sustained action across the entire decade between now and the deadline. It takes time to train the teachers, nurses and engineers; to build the roads, schools and hospitals; to grow the small and large businesses able to create the jobs and income needed. So we must start now. And we must more than double global development assistance over the next few years. Nothing less will help to achieve the Goals."

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan

The Millennium Summit: Charting а new vision for the new era

The Millennium Summit of the United Nations was held at UN Headquarters in New York from 6 to 8 September 2000. The three-day summit, attended by 100 heads of States, 47 heads of Government, three Crown Princes, five Vice­ Presidents and three Deputy Prime Ministers was the largest gathering of world leaders in history. At the centre of their deliberations was the Millennium Report of the Secretary-General.

In а declaration adopted by the summit, the world leaders reaffirm their faith in the United Nations as the indispensable common house of the entire human family, "through which we will seek to realize our universal aspirations for peace, cooperation and development".

The declaration identifies six core values as "essential" to international relations, namely:

1. Freedom;

2. Equality;

3. Solidarity;

4. Tolerance;

5. Respect for nature;

6. Shared responsibility

The declaration sets out а number of measures in the area of peace and disarmament, including providing the United Nations with the necessary resources for conflict prevention, peacekeeping and related tasks. Leaders also resolve to counter the world drug problem and fight transnational crime. In addition, they say they will strive to eliminate weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear weapons, while working to end the illicit traffic in small arms.

"We will spare nо effort to free our fellow men, women and children from the abject and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty," the declaration states. Leaders set out а specific timetable for reducing poverty:

• Halving the number of people in extreme poverty (by the year 2015);

• Ensuring universal primary education for boys and girls (by 2015);

• Reducing maternal mortality (by three quarters by 2015);

• Halting the spread of НIV/ AIDS (by 2015);

• Improving the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers (by 2020).

On the environment, the leaders declare, "We must spare nо effort to free all of humanity, and above all our children and grandchildren, from the threat of living on а planet irredeemably spoilt by human activities, and whose resources would nо longer be sufficient for their needs."

"We will spare no effort to promote democracy and strengthen the rule of law, as well as respect for all internationally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms," the declaration states.

On strengthening the United Nations, the leaders reaffirm the central posi­tion of the General Assembly as the chief deliberative, policy-making and repre­sentative UN organ. They also resolve "to intensify our efforts to achieve а comprehensive reform of the Security Council". In addition, leaders resolve to ensure that the United Nations is provided with timely and predictable resources to do its job. The leaders conclude their declaration by pledging "our unstinting support for these common objectives, and our determination to achieve them".