The Millennium Declaration marks a watershed in the history of the United Nations and the struggle against poverty and want. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) included within the Declaration sets out concrete, global development objectives and, for the first time, a timetable for their achievement. But the importance of the Millennium Declaration is not limited to the MDGs. In linking development, freedom and human rights, the Declaration stands as a succinct statement of humanity’s shared vision of a world in which all people enjoy prosperity, freedom and peace.

The Millennium Declaration and MDGs provide the framework for co-operation between the Government of Viet Nam and the United Nations agencies, including UNDP. The achievement of all of the MDGs and the full realization of the values of the Millennium Declaration motivate all of our work together. Viet Nam’s representative institutions at the national and local levels have a vital role to play in drafting and approving legislation that reflects the principles of the Millennium Declaration and raising public awareness of the Declaration and MDGs.