Eritrea is one of the 189 nations which endorsed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in September 2000 at the General Assembly of the United Nations, as part of the internationally agreed development goals. The objective of the Declaration was to improve the livelihoods of humanity in the 21st century by pursuing the eight (8) MDGs with quantified, time-bound targets to be achieved by the year 2015. Progress in achieving the goals globally has been uneven, with some countries having achieved many of them, while others on track, and others falling behind.

Monitoring the MDGs takes place at both global and national levels: At the global level, the UN Secretary-General reports annually to the General Assembly on the progress of implementation of the MDGs. At national levels, the preparations of the MDG Country Reports are nationally led and owned by the governments, and are one of the best instruments for obtaining MDG evidence from the ground, extracting lessons learnt and maintaining momentum towards the MDGs. The Reports also serve as public information and a social mobilization tool to help keep the country commitments to the goals.