Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s)

The Millennium Declaration was adopted by Member States of the United Nations in September 2000. It contains eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), ranging from eradicating extreme poverty to combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. The MDGs detail out 18 specific development targets, each of which has a target figure, a time frame, and indicators designed to monitor the extent to which the target has been achieved.

*MDG Goal 7, Target 11

The United Nations system assigned UN-Habitat the responsibility of assisting Member States to monitor and gradually attain the “Cities Without Slums” target, also known as Target 11, which is one of the three targets of Goal 7, “Ensure Environmental Sustainability”. Target 11 is: “By 2020, to have achieved a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers”.

Sri Lanka

Under this target according to the MDG Report 2005 of the Govt of Sri Lanka, the following areas have been identified as priorities for Development.

  1. Basic facilities including shelter, safe drinking water, sanitary needs, drainage, waste management and safe living environment need to be improved.
  2. Rapid implementation of the “registration of Title Act No. 21 of 1998, to secure security of property rights.
  3. Transfer of present settlers living under sub-human conditions to high-rise flats.