Millennium Project
The Millennium Project was commissioned by the United Nations Secretary-General in 2002 to develop a concrete action plan for the world to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and to reverse the grinding poverty, hunger and disease affecting billions of people. In 2005, the independent advisory body headed by Professor Jeffrey Sachs, presented its final recommendations to the Secretary-General in a synthesis volume Investing in Development: A Practical Plan to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals. The bulk of the Project's work was carried out by 10 thematic Task Forces, each of which also presented its own detailed recommendations in January 2005. The Task Forces comprised a total of more than 250 experts from around the world including: researchers and scientists; policymakers; representatives of NGOs, UN agencies, the World Bank, IMF and the private sector. After the presentation of the Millennium Project's final reports, the secretariat team worked in an advisory capacity through to the end of 2006 to support the implementation of the Project's recommendations, with special focus on supporting developing countries' preparation of national development strategies aligned with achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
Millennium Development Goals Campaign
The Millennium Campaign informs, inspires and encourages people’s involvement and action for the realization of the Millennium Development Goals. An initiative of the United Nations, the Campaign supports citizens' efforts to hold their government to account for the Millennium promise.
The United Nations Family in the Maldives has also launched a Millennium Development Goals Campaign to build awareness among all Maldivians.
Joint UN and Government MDG Forums provided a platform to begin discussions with the government and the UN agencies and field specialists on the various issues affecting the Maldives’ achievement of the MDGs. The first Forum was held in April 2003 on the topic of “MDGs and Environmental Health,” which aimed to foster a better understanding of the MDGs and its relation to and with environmental health. The second Forum was held two months later on the topic of MDGs and Nutrition, and targeted encouragement of public dialogue on the relation between nutrition and MDGs. The third Forum, "Towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals," was held in August 2003. The President, His Excellency Mr. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, addressed this Forum, followed by a presentation by Professor Hans de Kruijk, Erusmus University, Rotterdam on "What role could the Vulnerability and Poverty Assessment play in monitoring developments of MDGs".
As part of the advocacy efforts, calendars on the Goals were produced and distributed to Maldivians. A joint initiative of UNDP, UNICEF, and UNFPA together with the Ministry of Planning and National Development, the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Poster and Animation Competition held in 2006-2007 also encouraged awareness among people of the Maldives on the 7 MDGs specific to developing countries and the achievements the Maldives has made towards realizing them. It provided an opportunity to showcase the talents of Maldivians, young and old, and received over 150 posters and animation clips. The exhibition to showcase the talents and award prizes to the winners was held at the National Art Gallery on 9 March .
The 2007 UN Day celebrations will be used to advocate for MDGs and climate change, as well as for the core principle of the Millennium Declaration - human rights.