The UN Chronicle

Volume XLIV Number 4, 2007

The MDGs – Are we on track?
Building upon the lessons of four decades of United Nations efforts, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) outline a universal framework for development: eradicate extreme poverty and hunger (Goal 1), achieve universal primary education (Goal 2), promote gender equality and empower women (Goal 3), reduce child mortality (Goal 4), improve maternal health (Goal 5), combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases (Goal 6), ensure environmental sustainability (Goal 7) and develop a global partnership for development (Goal 8). While these Goals are distinct, they are not to be understood as separate from one another—progress in one area is only possible if the others are also tackled at the same time. Moreover, the MDGs, drawn from the Millennium Declaration adopted by all UN Member States in 2000, are not merely lofty statements of intent but a set of 18 concrete targets—and precise monitoring mechanisms to track and review progress towards the achievement of these Goals.

We have crossed the midpoint between the adoption of the MDGs and the 2015 target date—and the data available indicate results have been uneven. “There is a clear need for political leaders to take urgent action”, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon states in his foreword to The Millennium Development Report 2007, the latest update on global progress towards the MDGs, “or many millions of people will not realize the basic promises of the MDGs in their lives”.

While we have seen some gains worldwide, the overall success is still far from assured, with each region telling a different story. Sub-Saharan Africa is not on track to achieve any of the MDGs. Even regions that have shown substantial progress, including parts of Asia, face challenges in areas such as health and environmental sustainability. Urbanization, deforestation and increasing water scarcity represent pervasive obstacles worldwide, with climate change increasing the burden. Development and security are mutually dependent: insecurity due to armed conflict and instability in post-conflict countries make long-term development efforts extremely difficult; in turn, a failure to achieve the MDGs in fragile States can set the stage for further instability and conflict.

The UN Chronicle has decided to devote two special issues to the MDGs, asking: Are we on track to achieve the MDGs? What has been accomplished and what remains to be done? In this issue, we survey the key challenges in attaining the first seven Goals (MDGs 1 to 7), which have fixed targets for 2015. Underlying all these efforts is the development of a global partnership for development (MDG 8), which will be the focus of our next issue.

The importance of the MDGs is reflected in the eminence of our contributors, who have responded to our invitation. This special issue features articles from 33 contributors, many of them important leaders in support of the Millennium Development Goals. In her essay for this issue, President Tarja Halonen of Finland, who co-chaired the UN Millennium Summit with President Sam Nujoma of Namibia in 2000, stresses, “it is crucial that our aspirations become achievements”. Inevitably, a major focus will be on the developing countries, and in particular on Africa, seeking to overcome shortfalls and close the gaps in progress. President Nujoma, in turn, notes that “the most critical challenge is the mobilization of development resources”.

Still, achievement of the MDGs is possible in most countries, but only if concerted action is increased immediately and sustained until 2015. That is why, as UN Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro points out, it is important “to scale up efforts to reach the MDGs around the world, particularly in Africa”. This will require a shared global strategy that fosters inclusive growth, sound governance, increased public investment, enhanced productive capacity and the creation of decent work, so that all development partners can join forces in getting the MDGs back on track.