Expectations high, but reason for optimism:

Facing the MDG challenge

By Pramod DE SILVA

Ten years ago, the world agreed to a set of targets called the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which basically aimed at creating a better planet for its six billion inhabitants. Ten years on, the United Nations and its Member States will be taking stock of the present state of the Goals, which have to be achieved by 2015, just five years away.

Just what are the MDGs? At the United Nations Millennium Summit in 2000, 189 world leaders signed the Millennium Declaration, a commitment to meet eight international development goals by 2015.

The eight are: eradicating extreme poverty and hunger; achieving universal primary education; promoting gender equality and empowering women; reducing child mortality; improving maternal health; combating HIV/AIDS and other diseases; ensuring environmental sustainability; and developing global partnerships to meet the goals. Sri Lanka, which already has set benchmark status for most of these indices in our region, is committed to achieve the MDGs.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will host the United Nations High-level Plenary Meeting on the Millennium Development Goals, also referred to as the MDG Summit from September 20-22, with the aim of accelerating progress towards all the MDGs by 2015. This 10th anniversary meeting of the MDGs will chart the progress so far and try to determine where attention and resources should be focused between now and 2015.

Eight goals

The eight goals are certainly noble, but there are lingering doubts that many countries may not be able to achieve them by 2015. There were many critics who questioned the wisdom of having only a 15-year window for achieving eight ambitious targets. Indeed, many countries might need at least one more decade to meet the high expectations of the MDGs. In fact, the United Nations MDGs website notes that at the current pace, several of the eight MDGs and associated targets are likely to be missed in many countries.

But there is reason for optimism. Countries can still make headway on slashing hunger, poverty and a host of other socio-economic ills over the next five years, Helen Clark, head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said.

"With sufficient and predictable resources for development, the appropriate policies, and strong leadership and capacity, we do believe that the MDGs and other internationally agreed development goals can be met," Clark said, referring to the MDGs. "There is not only a moral imperative to strive to meet them, but it is also an important part of our quest to make our planet more just, secure, and peaceful. That is in the best interests of all of us," the UNDP Administrator said.

Lack of funds

The primary reason for the slow progress on MDGs is the lack of funds for development and social welfare in the developing countries where the poorest of the poor live. Often called the 'Bottom Billion' these are the people who have to be lifted out of the mire of extreme poverty. It has often been pointed out that just a fraction of the world's defence budget could help many countries achieve the MDGs. Experts say that if the global military budget was reduced then all of the MDGs could be achieved - it would cost one-tenth of the annual military budget of the world.

The statistics are staggering - and appalling. In 2005, 1.4 billion people, or one quarter of the population of the developing world, lived below the international poverty line, on less than USD 1.25 a day. One billion people globally lack access to adequate food, 2.6 billion lack access to improved sanitation, almost nine million children die before the age of five and at least 340,000 women die every year from pregnancy-related causes.

Sanitation

More than 884 million people worldwide still use unimproved water sources. In 2006, 2.5 billion people - more than 37 percent of the world's population - did not have access to toilets or other forms of improved sanitation.

Millions of people also die prematurely from non-communicable diseases, as well as tuberculosis, malaria and AIDS. Most, if not all, of these deaths can be prevented if more funds are available.

Clearly, developed countries must do more to help the developing ones. For example, rich countries need to increase their commitment to health from the current level of USD 16 billion a year to USD 42.5 billion by 2015 if they're to meet the health MDGs in all developing countries. To put this funding requirement in context, it is equivalent to just four percent of the fiscal stimulus package announced by the G20 for 2009.

It is thus heartening to note that steps are finally being taken in this direction. Sixty countries will propose a tax on international financial transactions which could raise 40 billion euro (50 billion dollars) a year to spend on development.

New tax

"The tax we propose is five cents out of every 1,000 euro - it is not much, but it is enough to launch the movement," France's Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner announced in Paris.

The 60 countries plan to propose the new tax to the United Nations on September 21 at the UN Millennium Development Goals Summit in New York.

The world also needs an intense campaign aimed at reducing poverty drastically. It is inconceivable that half the world should languish in poverty even in the 21st century. The UN has invited several well-known public figures to take this message to the world.

Japan's famed violinist Midori Goto, German football player Michael Ballack, Queen Rania of Jordan and Spanish actor Antonio Banderas will be among the dozens of celebrities who have agreed to campaign for ending poverty, the UN said. The celebrities also include singers, athletes, television hosts and fashion models.

The UN described them as "household names who are bringing the message of global justice and solidarity to homes and communities around the world".

The UN Summit is only the culmination of a series of events held this year on MDGs. Melbourne recently hosted a parley titled "Advance Global Health - Achieve the Millennium Development Goals" bringing together more than 300 non-governmental organisations from 70 countries. It focused especially on Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 on slashing child and maternal mortality rates as millions of mothers are still losing their children to preventable diseases before they turn five.

It is a pity that overall global donor aid for maternal, newborn and child health accounts for only three percent of global aid. A fraction of the world's military spending would fund the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), said Professor Phil Batterham, convener of the three-day conference in Melbourne.

A declaration drafted at the conference, and supported overwhelmingly by delegates, calls for a redirection of military spending towards health and education while free trade agreements should not be favoured over "fair trade ... that maximises health and well-being before profits".

"It is unacceptable that so many children and adults in low income countries continue to suffer preventable illness, disability and premature deaths each year," it said. "The world knows how to prevent and treat most of the causes and that well-focused efforts can significantly reduce levels of suffering."

These moves will continue even after the UN Summit. Governments from UN donor countries will meet again in October where they will be called on to replenish the USD 20 billion fund used to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

Inter-linked

Governments of developing countries as well as donor countries should also realise that the MDGs are necessarily inter-linked. Success or failure in one sphere would impact on another goal. It is very hard to separate hunger and poverty from other indicators such as universal access to education, empowering women, combating disease and even environmental sustainability.

After all, abject poverty drives many women and children to take up menial labour, which deprives them of educational opportunities and hence better jobs. Poverty also leads to disease and limits access to healthcare. Climate change has adversely affected many developing countries, disturbing agricultural patterns and livelihoods. Several small countries even face the prospect of disappearing altogether from the world map if temperatures and sea levels rise.

These concerns were reflected in the MDG Report 2010,issued to mark the 10th anniversary of the MDG declaration. "It is clear that improvements in the lives of the poor have been unacceptably slow, and some hard-won gains are being eroded by the climate, food and economic crises," said the report. But there are encouraging signs too.

The report cited big gains in cutting the rate of extreme poverty, getting children into primary schools, addressing AIDS, malaria and child health, and a good chance to reach the target for access to clean drinking water.

It is clear that more needs to be done to achieve MDGs. Based on evidence from over 50 countries, an International Assessment by the UN Development Program -- "What will it take to achieve the MDGs" - lays out an eight-point action agenda to reduce global poverty and advance sustainable development. Another two publications by the UN Development Group present almost 200 good practices from 75 different countries and identify promising experiences in the country efforts to move towards the various Goals. As the UN declares, "We Can End Poverty".

One of the most important aspects of the UN MDG program is developing Global Partnerships to meet the goals. It would be virtually impossible for individual countries to achieve these goals without international cooperation and funding. More aid to developing countries is essential and so is a pruning of military expenditure by rich countries.

Official development assistance rose to USD 119.8 billion in 2008, from USD 103.5 billion in 2007, an increase of 16 percent in real terms. This needs to be sustained and increased in the long-term.

The world needs to come together now to achieve the MDGs by 2015.