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UN sounds alarm about MDGs
A recent United Nations report has warned about setbacks to achieving the Millennium Development Goals The UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, on 4 September 2008 released the report, Delivering on the Global Partnership for Achieving the Millennium Development Goals, which acknowledges some major achievements, but warns that the contributions of developed countries are falling short of what they promised. The Group of Eight industrialised countries in 2005 pledged to give more than $US25 billion to Africa by 2010, but so far have only given $US4 billion.
Donor countries increased their official development assistance (ODA)after 2000, but aid flows have recently declined, by 4.7 per cent in 2006 and a further 8.4 per cent in 2007. Moreover, the failure of the recent Doha Round of trade negotiations has been a 'major setback' to developing countries being able to reduce their poverty through greater trade.
The report noted progress on debt relief, though more action was needed. There had also been progress in the availability of medicines against infectious diseases, but many other essential drugs, including antibiotics and painkillers, were not affordable for the poor.
UNICEF also reported on 12 September that child mortality had fallen by 27 per cent since 1990 to 68 deaths per 1000 live births. Some countries, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Laos and Nepal had more than halved their child mortality rate and were on track to reduce child deaths by two-thirds by 2015. But some countries had shown disappointing progress. Perhaps 148 million children in poor countries remained undernourished.
Adding urgency to Mr Ban's call to lift ODA, recent World Bank figures show that the number of people living in 'absolute poverty' is 500 million more than previously estimated.
Ban on 11 September noted the steady achievements of the MDGs, particularly in expanding education and in primary school enrolments, in gender equality and health services. In addition, the proportion of people living in poverty was expected to halve by 2015, thus achieving this key MDG target. However, most of these gains were in Asia, while sub-Saharan Africa was losing ground.
Recent high food prices have aggravated the situation greatly, especially in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Yet despite these challenges, Ban said it was still possible to reach most of the MDGs. "In most cases, we already know what needs to be done, and how".
Some 150 countries , including more than 90 heads of State, will participate on 25 September in a high-level one-day conference to review progress to date and determine what still needs to be done. Mr Ban said: "I expect all participants to announce specific initiatives or commitments and lay out plans to realise them. By the close of the meeting, we hope to be in a very different place from where we are today." The UN has been pressing donor countries to increase their overseas aid to 0.7 per cent of gross national income.
The UN report, Delivering on the Global Partnership for Achieving the Millennium Development Goals is available at www.un/esa/policy/mdggap/mdg8report_engw.pdf.
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