Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan in Beijing Thursday urged all nations to be active in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).  

Addressing the opening ceremony of the international conference on MDGs, Tang said the United Nations should take more responsibility in meeting these goals and at the same time a worldwide comprehensive partnership should be built to enable people of all circles to contribute to the MDGs.

Tang said China has always given the top priority to development and is trying hard to develop in an inclusive, balanced and sustainable way, which will surely push the steps of realization of the goals.

During his meeting with representatives from the United Nations, Tang said China expects that the United Nations would make more efforts in helping its members to develop and enhance international cooperation.

Rubens Recupero, representative of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and secretary-general of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, highly valued China's achievements in pushing economic and social development comprehensively, saying China is a model in achieving the MDGs.

The Millennium Development Goals came after a gathering of 149 world leaders at the United Nations in September 2000, who also proclaimed the Millennium Declaration.

The declaration gave voice to the values shared by all member nations and resulted in a commitment by those nations to halve global poverty by 2015.

The eight goals are: to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, to achieve universal primary education, to promote gender equality and empower women, to reduce child mortality, to improve maternal health, to combat HIV/ AIDS, malaria and other diseases, to ensure environmental sustainability, and to build up a global partnership for development.

(Xinhua News Agency March 26, 2004)