Joint Statement to the United Nations on UN Millennium Development Goals

During the summer 2005, the InterAcademy Council took the lead in developing a joint statement from the leadership of international scientific, engineering, and medical organizations to the Heads of State and Government, meeting at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2005. The joint statement calls upon them to strengthen worldwide capacities in science, technology, and innovation.

This unprecedented joint statement to the United Nations General Assembly urges stronger capacities in science and technology to allow humanity to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals. In September 2000, 147 heads of State and Government—and 189 nations in total—committed themselves by year 2015 to reduce significantly global poverty and the related problems of illiteracy, hunger, discrimination against women, unsafe drinking water, and degraded environments and ecosystems.

The joint statement declared that to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, a concerted global effort among the world’s scientists, engineers, and medical experts is needed to identify successful strategies and to help implement effective programs. Sustained progress in reducing poverty and related problems require strengthened institutions for science, technology, and innovation throughout the world, including in each developing nation. The signers of the statement committed their organizations to work with appropriate partners to help strengthen global capacities for achieving the Millennium Development Goals.