About Us
The MDG Achievement Fund (MDG-F) was committed to eradicating poverty and inequality and changing people’s lives around the world. Set up in 2007 with a generous contribution from the Government of Spain to the United Nations system, we worked together with and in support of citizens and their organizations as well as governments to implement programmes that helped advance the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) worldwide.
Our aim was to trigger real change for the better in people’s lives and to influence public policy, making it more responsive to the needs of the poor. We supported 130 programmes in 50 countries around the world, piloting examples and supporting national programmes that could be scaled up into national policy frameworks. Our areas of action ranged from child nutrition to youth employment, women’s empowerment and culture and development.
All our programmes were defined by national priorities and were the product of an extensive and collaborative formulation process that brought together more than 25 UN agencies and an even larger number of ministries and civil society groups.
Click here to read success stories from our work fighting poverty and improving livelihoods around the world.
Quick Facts
- The MDG-Fund was established in 2007 through a landmark agreement signed between the Government of Spain and the UN system with the aim of accelerating progress on the MDGs.
- With a total contribution of approximately $US 900M, the MDG-Fund financed 130 joint programmes in eight programmatic areas in 50 countries around the world, in addition to global partnerships, thematic knowledge management initiatives and the JPO and SARC young development professionals training programmes.
- Our programmes covered nutrition, youth and employment, gender equality, environment, culture, conflict resolution and peacebuilding, water resources management and private sector development.
- We worked with almost 2000 partners from community organizations, national and local governments, NGOs, UN Agencies and the private sector, taking into account a gender perspective in all our work.
- All our programmes were joint programmes, meaning they brought together an average of six United Nations agencies in a collective effort, thereby strengthening the UN system’s ability to deliver as one entity.
- The MDG-Fund also led a social justice initiative to put the issue of social exclusion and inequality firmly at the centre of the fight against poverty and all efforts to achieve the MDGs.
History
On 18 December 2006, UNDP Administrator Kemal Derviş and Spanish Secretary of State for International Cooperation Leire Pajín signed a landmark agreement to programme €528 million over the next four years through the UN system. The aim was to accelerate progress towards key Millennium Development Goals and related development goals in selected sectors and countries. This agreement paved the way for the establishment of the MDG Achievement Fund (MDG-F), which was launched in the first quarter of 2007.
MDG-F Framework document
UNDP/Spain Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund Framework Document provides an overview of the background, objectives, purpose and scope of the UNDP/Spain Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund.
Click here for the full document.
Governance Structure
The Governance of the MDG-F was reflected in a fairly light structure at the global level, with a two-member Steering Committee, a Secretariat, and Technical Subcommittees (TSC) led by UN Agency Convenors who were responsible for coordinating the review of proposals for funding submitted to the MDG-F.