All Arab states agree that human development is a fundamental aspiration. In affirmation of this commitment, all countries in the region adopted the Millennium Declaration from which the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are derived.

The MDGs include a selection of numerical and time-bound targets that encapsulate people’s most basic aspirations for a better life. Between 1990 and 2015, countries agree to halve income poverty and hunger; achieve universal primary education; promote gender equality; reduce under-five mortality by two-thirds; cut maternal mortality by three-quarters; combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis; ensure environmental sustainability; and build a global partnership for development.