In September 2000, 189 member states of the United Nations reached a historic agreement on the Millennium Declaration, committing to halving world poverty by 2015 through a set of eight time-bound measurable goals. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) enable governments and people to measure human development and progress in the improvement of people’s lives. The world is making progress towards the MDGs, but challenges remain. Half of the world’s population still live on less than US$ 2 per day, 30,000 children die each day from poverty and the adverse effects of climate change are being felt from pole to pole.

In China, remarkable progress has been achieved on the MDGs. However, its rapid economic growth has placed enormous pressure on the environment and posed challenges to equity, gender equality and HIV/AIDS.

Given the complex and interconnected nature of development, the achievement of the MDGs requires broad partnerships and mobilization of all sectors of society. Whilst governments carry primary responsibility, it is increasingly in the interest of business to be part of the solution. The private sector, as the main engine of economic growth, has a key role to play for the MDGs and development. There are also growing international demands for companies to be more transparent and accountable for their economic, social and environmental footprints. With the emergence of China’s economy and influence, the participation of Chinese enterprises will be particularly important in the achievement of the MDGs.

UNDP and the private sector share common interests in working together for development. UNDP needs businesses’ proactive contribution, innovation and technology for its development projects. The business sector can benefit from UNDP’s trusted partnership with Government, civil society and experience in contributing to poverty reduction.