Put human rights at the heart of the Millennium Development Goals

In the time that it takes you to read and sign this petition, at least one woman will die from complications in pregnancy or childbirth. To make things worse it will most likely be from a problem that could have been avoided.

When world leaders met ten years ago to set global goals for eradicating poverty - The Millennium Development Goals - they acknowledged this dire situation and made Goal Five ‘Improve Maternal Health’. Despite this, and with only five years to go before the deadline for achievement, there has been almost no progress. Women continue to die needlessly - 95% of them in the poorest countries and communities.

We strongly believe that, despite some improvements in other areas, none of the Goals can be truly achieved without embedding human rights at their heart.

As world leaders prepare to meet and decide a plan of action to step up their work toward achieving the Goals, help us ensure human rights play a central role. Sign the petition now.

We will submit your signatures at the Millenium Development Goals Summit taking place in New York 20 -22 September.

We, the undersigned, want to send the message below to the MDG Summit Presidents :

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are the most prominent global initiative to address poverty. But 10 years on, progress on the MDGs has left many behind.

MDG 5 to reduce maternal mortality is a key example. Women and girls continue to face discrimination and inequality that increase their risk of maternal mortality.

As UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has recommended, to make real progress, all efforts to meet the MDGs must put human rights at the centre.

This includes reaching the most excluded, empowering women, ensuring the participation of people in poverty and holding governments to account.

Protecting the rights of people living in poverty is an essential piece of any solution. I urge you to ensure that human rights are at the heart of the global fight to end poverty. The world cannot wait any longer for action.