The United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight objectives to be achieved by 2015 that respond to the world's main development challenges. With objectives that range from cutting poverty in half to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS, the MDGs are drawn from the Millennium Declaration signed by 147 heads of state and governments in 2000, and serve as a blueprint for governments toward building a better world in the 21st century.

Click here for a full list of goals, targets and indicators.

Cisco supports not only the eight goals themselves but the organization championing the goals: the UNDP. Cisco provided early stage funding and consulting expertise to create the MDG Monitor, an online Web-based portal that provides real-time, map-based news of MDG events from around the world as well as summarized country progress reports, to enable the development of a global summary of country needs and achievements by goal.

By using the power of the human network to bring focus to the needs of some countries, and the successes of others, Cisco firmly believes that the MDG Monitor can effectively promote renewed national efforts, and guide expertise and resources to those in need.

We believe that Cisco’s education, human services, environmental and partnership projects around the world are helping to address the MDGs. Here are a few examples:

	GOAL 1 Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger	• Partnership with Oxfam • LifeLines, India • Grameen Microfinance
	GOAL 2 Achieve universal primary education	• Overcoming the Digital Divide in the Great Rift Valley • Global Education Initiative • 21st Century Schools Initiative • Teachers without Borders • Higher Education Outreach • Community Partners
	GOAL 3 Promote gender equality and empower women	• Women’s Empowerment Program • Gender Initiative
	GOAL 4 Reduce child mortality	• Belgrade Children’s Hospital
	GOAL 5 Improve maternal health	• Kijabe Hospital, Kenya • Mercy Ships
	GOAL 6 Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases	• Global Partnership with Acumen Fund • Community Partners
	GOAL 7 Ensure environmental sustainability	• To read more about Cisco’s Environmental Strategy see the Cisco and the Environment section of this report • UN StEP please see March 2007 announcement • UN Launches Global E-Waste Initiative
	GOAL 8 Develop a Global Partnership for Development	• Global partnership with NetHope • Community Partners • Partnerships for Education — with UNESCO and World Economic Forum • ITU-Cisco Human Capacity Building Project

Icon artwork in the chart was provided by the UNDP Brazil