Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon marked 500 days of action until the deadline to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) at an event in New York this week. 

“Action now will save lives, build a solid foundation for sustainable development far beyond 2015 and help lay the groundwork for lasting peace and human dignity,” the Secretary-General said at a special event at the UN Headquarters in New York.

He was joined by more than 500 young people, including teenage education campaigner Malala Yousafzai. Former Soroptimist International UN Representative Yoko Komori Olson (pictured below) also attended the event. 

 

The eight MDGs, agreed by world leaders at UN summit in 2000, are described as a 15-year roadmap to fight poverty, hunger and disease, protect the environment and expand education, basic health and women’s empowerment.

“Against the predictions of cynics, the MDGs have helped unite, inspire and transform,” Mr. Ban noted. He highlighted that poverty has been cut in half, more girls attend school, and fewer people are dying from malaria, tuberculosis and other deadly diseases. Inequality remains a challenge, however, as does childbirth, maternal mortality, universal education, and environmental sustainability, according to a report Mr. Ban presented to Member States in July.

In her remarks at the event, Ms. Yousafzai expressed her desire to
see every boy and girl to attend school. She also suggested the need to
change the mind-set that women are weaker than men.

“Often, women are likely to believe that they are actually
somehow ‘less’ than men, just because they have never been told
otherwise. Education offers a chance to learn, free yourself, and
contribute to positive change.”

“Always believe in yourself. We are all the same and everyone can make a difference,” Ms. Yousafzai concluded.

Soroptimist International and the Millennium Development Goals

While highlighting that the MDGs were groundbreaking,  Soroptimist International has also highlighted ways that they  fell short for women and girls and has proposed ways that these issues could be addressed in the Post-2015 development agenda, which will succeed the MDGs. SI is contributing to a worldwide discussion about what the Post-2015 agenda should look like. Find out more in SI’s statement on the Post-2015 agenda.