Resolution to Recommend the Millennium Development Goals for Study and Action

Common Global Ministries Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ

Adopted April 9, 2005

Widespread poverty remains a fundamental, debilitating condition of our global community. All 191 member states of the United Nations have pledged to meet a set of eight goals set out in a Declaration of the 2000 UN Millennium Summit that address poverty and related health and social problems like illiteracy, gender inequality, child mortality and environmental degradation. These eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are critical factors that must be met to ensure life, human rights, and the basic well-being for all creation as we move into an increasingly globalized world that risks leaving many behind.

The MDGs call for an effective “global partnership for development” that is based in securing new and better aid initiatives, more equitable trading rules and comprehensive debt relief.  The goals are designed to be met by 2015, but five years on, their success will depend not only on governmental commitments but also on the support and collaboration of civil society groups. Many churches and church-related development organizations, including national and global ecumenical partners of Common Global Ministries, have endorsed the MDGs and undertaken efforts to identify and measure ways their development and advocacy programs meet these profound human needs targeted in the goals.

WHEREAS the Common Global Ministries Board has engaged in a study of globalization and matters of international economic justice, and

WHEREAS the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have been endorsed by the National Council of Churches of Christ (USA) Governing Board on February 14, 2005, and

WHEREAS our partner church The United Reformed Church (UK) has endorsed the MDGs and invited our churches to join it in active campaigns to address issues of international economic justice that address poverty and related challenges to global development,

THEREFORE, let it be resolved that the Common Global Ministries Board commend the MDGs to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ for study and considered endorsement, and

BE IT RESOLVED that the Global Education and Advocacy team continue to focus on ways to advocate for international economic justice and for global partnerships that meet development goals, and

BE IT RESOLVED that the Common Global Ministries Board consider participation in appropriate ecumenical campaigns seeking ways to achieve the MDGs, notably the MakePovertyHistory/ONE campaign and the Water for Life campaign.