TICAD III presents important opportunities in the African context for achieving progress toward the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The MDGs were adopted by the largest-ever gathering of world leaders during the UN Millennium Summit in 2000. As the world strives to achieve the MDG targets for 2015, Africa faces enormous challenges.

Because of the continent's disproportionate burden of poverty, poor healthcare and education, infrastructure, as well as many other serious problems, achieving the Millennium Development Goals will hinge on making substantial and sustained advances in many countries.

The MDG targets for 2015 include:
1. Halve extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce child mortality by two-thirds
5. Improve maternal health
6. Halt and begin to reverse the spread HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Develop a global partnership for development

TICAD III is a key aspect of international efforts to achieve Goal 8 — the development of a global partnership for development. TICAD's main purpose is to establish such global partnership, along with African ownership of its development priorities.

In line with the eighth goal, TICAD aims to encourage improved trade and financial systems that are in harmony with Africa's interests, and to work with the private sector to ensure that Africa benefits from new technologies, especially information and communications technologies.