The firm desire of the Basque Government to share commitment in the problems of the world and to assume as its own UN programmes and initiatives, recently led to the signing of an agreement between the Lehendakari and the Executive Coordinator for the Millennium Development Goals Campaign, Eveline Herfkens.

8th September 2000 saw the holding of the Millennium Summit at which 189 heads of state and governments made a declaration of commitment to the Millennium Development Goals for 2015. The substance of these goals is related to the economic and social welfare of developing countries, to environmental conservation and to the promotion of international alliances for development between rich and poor countries.

Given the Basque Country's desire to participate in this Declaration, Lehendakari Juan José Ibarretxe was the first world leader at his level to sign the  Basque Declaration of Commitment to the Millennium Declarations and its Objectives, an event which took place on 17th November 2004 at the Palacio de Artaza in Leioa, attended by Eveline Herfkens, Executive Coordinator of the Campaign.

This Declaration of Commitment particularly stresses the principles and values stipulated in Chapter I, which, in addition to indicating the original principles of the United Nations and those of International Law, includes six essential values for 21st-century relations: freedom, equality, tolerance, solidarity, respect for nature and common responsibility.

The Basque Government similarly states its concern regarding the efforts described in Chapter II of the Declaration advocating peace, security and disarmament, the objectives of development and eradicating poverty stated in Chapter III, and the 8 objectives and 18 goals "to which we feel committed".

In short, the Basque Government wishes to participate in international affairs as an actor in its own right, assuming responsibilities with respect to all kinds of subjects, and, according to its tradition, always including certain ethical values in its foreign action, such as peace, democracy, justice, equality or the respect for and defence of human rights. The Basque Country must therefore continue to place its stakes on unavoidably linking economic development to human progress

En In 2005, having celebrated the 5th anniversary of the Declaration without having made the expected progress, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, launched the World Campaign "2015: No excuses" in different UN countries.

As a result, two events took place in early July of the same year:

On July 1st, a series of emblematic buildings all over the world donned a large white band as a sign of commitment to the "2015: No excuses" campaign.

On July 2nd, the Live 8 concerts took place in London, Paris, Rome, Berlin, Philadelphia, Toronto, Johannesburg and Tokyo, at which today's biggest music names went on stage to denounce the enormous social differences devastating the world.

With this objective, on July 1st of the same year, Lehendakari Ibarretxe chaired el the event confirming Basque backing of the campaign in favour of the Millennium Declaration, at which, among others, a plea was made to eradicate inequalities between rich and poor countries.

Thus, on the first Global White Band Day, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao donned a white band, logo of the "2015: No excuses" Campaign, in backing of the Millennium Declaration. This same gesture was simultaneously repeated by different emblematic buildings the world over, such as the Coliseum in Rome, the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, the buildings in Trocadero, Paris, the Slavery Door on Goree Island in Senegal, Sydney Harbour Bridge and the United Nations building in New York.