Millennium Development Goal Challenge
 
Each of the leaders profiled in Global Voices - Leaders in Development is working to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Test your knowledge of the MDGs with these 7 questions. Answers appear at the end of the quiz. Good luck!
 
1. When were the MDGs created?
a. 1948
b. 1995
c. 1998
d. 2000
e. 2005
 
2. How many MDGs are there?
a. 2
b. 5
c. 8
d. 10
e. 12
 
3. What is the deadline for achievement of the MDGs?
a. 2000
b. 2008
c. 2015
d. 2020
e. 2050
 
4. In support of one of the MDGs, 2008 was named the International Year of __________.
a. Peacekeeping
b. Sanitation
c. Fighting Poverty
d. Gender Equality
e. Development
 
5. Which geographic region needs the most improvement to reach its goals?
a. Southeast Asia
b. South America
c. Eastern Europe
d. Sub-Saharan Africa
e. Middle East
 
6. About how many people are currently living in extreme poverty (on less than $1 a day) around the world?
a. 500 million
b. 1 billion
c. 1.3 billion
d. 1.8 billion
e. 2 billion
 
7. Which United Nations agency is responsible for implementing the MDGs?
a. World Health Organization
b. UNICEF
c. World Food Program
d. UN Population Fund
e. All of the above
 


Answers

1. D. In September 2000, world leaders came together at United Nations Headquarters to adopt the UN Millennium Declaration, committing to a global partnership to reduce extreme poverty and setting out a series of time-bound targets that have become known as the Millennium Development Goals, or MDGs.
 
2. C. There are 8 goals: 1) Eradicate Extreme Hunger; 2) Achieve Universal Primary Education; 3) Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women; 4) Reduce Child Mortality; 5) Improve Maternal Health; 6) Combat HIV /AIDS, Malaria and Other Diseases; 7) Ensure Environmental Sustainability; 8) Develop a Global Partnership for Development.
 
3. C. The deadline for achieving the MDGs is 2015. We are a little over halfway to that deadline, and so far progress has been mixed. There has been overall improvement and many areas are on pace to meet many of the goals, but some areas remain left behind, and some goals will require a renewed and invigorated commitment from the global community if they are to be reached by the 2015 deadline.
 
4. B. Sanitation is a key part of Goal 7: Ensuring Environmental Sustainability. While there has been some improvement, 50% of people in the developing world still lack access to basic sanitation services. If the trend since 1990 continues, the world is likely to miss the overall target by almost 600 million people.
 
5. D. While progress varies between regions and goals, progre3ss in Sub-Saharan Africa has been slow on nearly all fronts. It is the region with the largest proporition of its people living in extreme poverty (less than $1 a day), and despite improvements, goals for materal health and child mortality remain major challenges in the region.
 
6. C. 1.3 billion people, about a fifth of the world's population, live on less than $1 a day. Though this is a vast improvement over nearly one third of the world's population that was living in extreme poverty in 1990, it is still an unacceptably high number. This demonstrates how far the MDGs have come, but also how far they have to go.
 
7. E. And a lot more! 23 partner organizations, ranging from the International Telecommunications Union to the World Bank, are working together with UN Member States to achieve the MDGS. As the Goals span a variety of challenges, they can only be achieved through joint efforts that utilise the full range of strategies and resources. 
 
How did you do?

For more information on the MDGs, visit the Millennium Campaign website.