Together in the fight against poverty
Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
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

Together in the fight against poverty

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Our role

Over 1 billion people live in extreme poverty today: they cannot wait.

That’s why the EU joined global leaders at the United Nations Millennium Summit in 2000 with the aim “to free fellow men, women and children from the abject and dehumanising condition of extreme poverty”.

Their commitment: to fight poverty through eight specific targets for 2015.
These Millennium Development Goals are what drive the EU’s action in this fight.

There is still a long way to go to reach these goals. In 2009, EU countries dedicated 0.42% of their national income to aid – far from the goal decided for 2015 (0.7%).

Yet, some facts are encouraging: 

  • since 2000, the aid given by the EU has doubled;
  • the EU is the largest donor in the world with nearly 60% of the total aid.

Check out about 80 examples worldwide of what the EU does to help developing countries achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

How we do it

Better aid:

To ensure the goals are achieved we also need to focus on:

  • Off-track countries and “fragile first”, starting with Haiti;
  • Key sectors such as education, health and food security;
  • MDG contracts – a new tool created by the EU to provide developing countries with long-term budget support directly linked to achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

Beyond aid:

Fighting poverty is not just about money! The EU also:

  • works with its member countries so their actions against poverty are complementary;
  • makes other EU policies, such as trade, migration and climate change, coherent for development. For example, the EU works together with developing countries in research on health or food security;
  • supports a strong voice for developing countries in global institutions.

Together

Fighting poverty in the world is a major global challenge – we can only succeed by acting together. This is why the EU and EU countries work with many global partners:

  • the United Nations and the World Bank;
  • governments of developing countries – the Goals are an agreement between rich and poor countries, with both sharing responsibilities in making the world a fairer place to live;
  • the societies of rich and poor countries, which include health workers, environmental activists, teachers, labour unions and young people, among others.

YOU can have your say too! Check out the fighter’s checklist to see how you can participate.  And read how people your age get moving.

Quick facts

  • €49 billion – the amount of EU aid for 2009
  • That’s €100 per habitant every year

More info