Millennium Development Goal 1: Eradicate Extreme Poverty

Achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Together

In 2000 at the United Nations Millennium Summit, the United States joined 189 world governments in the commitment to
achieve the MDGs, a set of 8 goals aimed at improving the lives of the world’s poorest by 2015.

The target of MDG 1: Eradicating Extreme Poverty is to halve the number of people living on less than $1 per day by 2015.
Between 1990 and 2005, significant progress was made, reducing the world’s population living in extreme poverty from 50 to
25 percent. The global economic crisis in 2009 has severely altered the economic landscape, causing stagnation and even
regression of achieving the goal. An additional 35 million people recently reaching extreme levels of poverty, and for the first
time in world history, the number of chronically malnourished has reached 1 billion.1

In 2009, the US government reaffirmed that the MDGs are “America’s goals.” More specifically, the US supports MDG 1
through a variety of government programs to promote economic growth in developing and transitioning economies. However,
in order to make MDG 1 a reality, these programs must be significantly strengthened to stay on track for 2015.2

Where Success Has Been Achieved

Many countries that have already achieved targets under MDG 1 have implemented ambitious policies and programs to
transfer resources and assets to the poor, which can have a quick impact on current poverty and hunger and can contribute to
long term poverty reduction if coupled with investments in health and education. Brazil greatly expanded its transfer
programs at the start of the millennium and consolidated many under the Bolsa Família program, which now covers one
quarter of the population. Conditional cash transfers are provided to families depending on education attendance and health
service utilization. Egypt subsidizes the staple Baladi bread, a policy responsible for lifting 730,000 people out of poverty,
according to some estimates. School feeding programs in Ghana and Guyana are redistributive tools that not only alleviate
short term hunger in children, but also provide effective incentives for school attendance and help to improve performance in
the classroom. Programs that target vulnerable groups, including women, children, and ethnic minorities, have been
particularly effective at reducing poverty.

What Can You Do?

You and your community play a vital role in the fight against poverty and hunger. Action can be taken to raise awareness of
the MDGs and press the US government to fulfill its commitment to end poverty by 2015. For example, send letters to your
local, regional and/or national representative expressing concern regarding the US’ progress in achieving the MDGs. In
addition, you can join the global movement of over 173 million people who refuse to stay seated or silent in the face of
poverty by participating in STAND UP, TAKE ACTION: Make a Noise for the MDGs taking place from Friday, September 17 –
Sunday, September 19, 2010. Past events include rallies highlighting poverty and social injustices and concert performances.
For more information on how you can participate in Stand Up, please visit www.standagainstpoverty.org.

1
United Nations, The Millennium Development Goals Report 2009, (New York: United Nations, 2009).
2
InterAction, The United States and the MDGS, (Washington, DC: InterAction, 2007).

The 8 Millennium Development Goals

www.standagainstpoverty.org and www.endpoverty2015.org