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According to the United Nations Millenium Project, the 8 Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs) are defined as "the world's time-bound and quantified targets for addressing extreme
poverty in its many dimensions – income poverty, hunger, disease, lack of adequate shelter,
and exclusion - while promoting gender equality, education, and environmental sustainability.
They are also basic human rights - the rights of each person on the planet to health,
education, shelter, and security."
(Millennium Project, 2006)
The 8 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are as follows:
Goal 1: Eradicate Extreme Hunger and Poverty
Goal 2: Achieve Universal Primary Education
Goal 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women
Goal 4: Reduce Child Mortality
Goal 5: Improve Maternal Health
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases
Goal 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability
Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development
Global South aims to make a significant and sustainable contribution toward
4 of the 8 MDGs through its promotion of inclusive economic development and
ethical trade:
Goal 1: extreme poverty and hunger
Goal 3: gender equality and empowerment of women
Goal 7: environmental sustainability
Goal 8: creating a global partnership for sustainable development
How will Global South sustainably contribute to MDG #1:
eradicate extreme poverty
and hunger?
More equitable trading relationships can help to halve the number of people living
on less than a dollar a day. Global South’s commitment to ethical trade will help
small producers/enterprises succeed and with sufficient support and education, contribute
more to their families and communities.
How will Global South sustainably contribute to MDG #3:
promote gender equality and empower women?
By increasing the proportion of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural
sector. Small producers/enterprises headed by women need additional support in navigating
commercial relationships. Tourism and arts and crafts initiatives in ethical trade are
suited for women as primary childcare providers as they are a somewhat less physically-demanding
form of employment.
How will Global South sustainably contribute to MDG #7:
ensure environmental sustainability?
By integrating the principles of sustainable development, small producers/enterprises
can be the "bottom of the pyramid" in reversing the loss of environmental resources.
How will Global South sustainably contribute to MDG #8:
create a global partnership for development?
Ethical trade is a key part of the further development of an open, rule-based,
predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial system that will expand inclusive
economic development.
For more information on the MDGs visit
http://www.unmillenniumproject.org/goals/index.htm
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