A Prehistory of the Millennium Development Goals: Four Decades of Struggle for Development in the United Nations
By Peter Jackson01.12.2007
When the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Millennium Declaration in 2000, the goals and targets it set in the section on development ultimately became known as the Millennium Development Goals.
Our Aspirations Must Become Achievements: From the Millennium Summit to 2015
By Tarja Halonen01.12.2007
In March 2000, then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan published his report, ‘We the Peoples’: The Role of the United Nations in the 21st Century, listing the major challenges in the world.
From the Millennium Summit to 2015: The Challenges Ahead
By Sam Nujoma01.12.2007
When Heads of State and Government met at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on 8 September 2000, we reflected on many previous resolutions and declarations made at the international, continental, as well as regional levels.
Devising a Shared Global Strategy for the MDGs: Building on Successes Towards 2015
By Sha Zukang01.12.2007
Seven years on and halfway towards 2015—the deadline set for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals—success is still possible. The MDGs, which set quantitative benchmarks to halve extreme poverty in all its forms, are achievable if countries implement national development strategies and receive adequate support from the international community.
Food Security and the Challenge of the MDGs: The Road Ahead
By Jacques Diouf01.12.2007
In their solemn Millennium Declaration of 2000, world leaders committed themselves to spare no effort to halve, by 2015, the proportion of the world’s people who suffer from poverty and hunger. Just seven years remain for us to meet that momentous challenge.
Breaking the Cycle of Poverty in Achieving the MDGs: Investing in Reproductive Health and Rights
By Thoraya Ahmed Obaid01.12.2007
A bold and ambitious agenda was set forth in the Millennium Development Goals to raise the quality of life of all individuals and promote human development. The MDGs represent our collective aspirations for a better life and provide a minimum road map on how to get there.
Surviving on Pennies: We Must Help the World’s Most Deprived
By Akhter Ahmed01.12.2007
Seven years ago, the international community made a commitment to halve the proportion of people living in extreme poverty and hunger between 1990 and 2015. Now at the halfway point between its declaration and the target deadline to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, it is obvious the world has made significant progress.
Agriculture Leads to the MDGs: Rural Development in Africa
By Glenn Denning01.12.2007
Agricultural productivity improvements have been a major driving force of social and economic change in human societies for millennia. The traditional production of crops and livestock fulfilled household requirements for food, fiber, fuel, medicine and other essential consumables.
Promoting the MDGs: The Role of Employment and Decent Work
By Juan Somavía01.12.2007
The 2000 UN Millennium Declaration, from which the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) emerged, focuses on development and poverty eradication, through peace and security, human rights, democracy and good governance. It identifies the fundamental values of freedom, equality, solidarity, tolerance, respect for nature and shared responsibility.
Achieving the MDGs in Africa: A Race Against Time
By Elizabeth Lwanga01.12.2007
African leaders, like other leaders from the developing world, with the support of the international community, embarked on a marathon race in 2000. Singularly and collectively, they entered a race against poverty, underdevelopment and deprivation by adopting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as the framework agenda for development.
Can South Asia End Poverty in a Generation? More Inclusive Growth and Faster Human Development Are Key
By Shantayanan Devarajan, Shekhar Shah01.12.2007
For the first time in its long history, the people of South Asia have the chance of sharing in a thriving environment on fair terms. The countries of the region are enjoying unprecedented economic growth, in most cases exceeding 5 per cent a year for over a decade. Today, South Asia is the world’s second fastest growing region, with economic growth contributing to an impressive reduction in poverty.
Ending Poverty Through Education: The Challenge of Education for All
By Koïchiro Matsuura 01.12.2007
The world made a determined statement when it adopted the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2000. These goals represent a common vision for dramatically reducing poverty by 2015 and provide clear objectives for significant improvement in the quality of people’s lives.
Towards Universal Primary Education: The Experience of Tanzania
By Margaret Simwanza Sitta01.12.2007
The Government of the United Republic of Tanzania recognizes the central role of education in achieving the overall development goal of improving the quality of life for its citizens. It considers the provision of quality universal primary education for all the most reliable way of building a sustainable future for the country.
Gender Disparity in Primary Education: The Experience in India
By Sushrut Desai01.12.2007
The primary education system in India suffers from numerous shortcomings, not the least being a dire lack of the financial resources required to set up a nationwide network of schools. Traditionally, the sector has been characterized by poor infrastructure, underpaid teaching staff, disillusioned parents and an unmotivated student population.
Gender Equality Is Key to Achieving the MDGs: Women and Girls Are Central to Development
By Joanne Sandler01.12.2007
One of nine children growing up from a small town in an African country, Meaza was told: “Oh, you’re so smart and have so much potential, it’s too bad you’re not a boy.” But her mother, who was illiterate, believed her children deserved better. “When I think of my mother, I think about how women are prevented from reaching their potential”, she says.
The Importance of Educating Girls and Women --The Fight Against Poverty in African Rural Communities
By Ann Cotton01.12.2007
The Millennium Declaration, adopted by world leaders in 2000, set ambitious goals and targets to be achieved by 2015. At the end of 2007, just past the midpoint of this process, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) seem almost as elusive as they were in 20001.
Promoting Gender Equality in Muslim Contexts -- Women’s Voices Must Not Be Silenced
By Noeleen Heyzer 01.12.2007
A question that is sometimes posed is whether women in Muslim contexts are entitled to equal rights. Are their culture and religion opposed to women having equal rights? To answer this, let us recognize the fact that nearly all the countries with Muslim majorities are signatories to international agreements advancing women’s rights.
Health and the MDGs: The Challenges Ahead
By Margaret Chan01.12.2007
In 2000, the international community endorsed the Millennium Declaration, which sets out an historic commitment to eradicate extreme poverty and improve the health of the world’s poorest people by 2015.
Education Is Key to Reducing Child Mortality: The Link Between Maternal Health and Education
By Ann M. Veneman01.12.2007
In 2006, for the first time in recent history, the total number of annual deaths among children under the age of five fell below 10 million, to 9.7 million. This represents a 60-per-cent drop in the rate of child mortality since 1960.
Newborns in Sub-Saharan Africa: How to Save These Fragile Lives
By Elizabeth Mason01.12.2007
Every day in Africa, 2,400 babies are stillborn and another 3,100 newborns die within their first four weeks of life. Half of African women and their babies do not receive skilled care during childbirth and even fewer receive effective post-natal care.
Reducing Child Mortality -- The Challenges in Africa
By Rumishael Shoo01.12.2007
In 1960, Africa contributed to approximately 14 per cent of the global child mortality burden. Today, sub-Saharan Africa alone accounts for almost 50 per cent of child mortality, although it constitutes only 11 per cent of the world population. If Millennium Development Goal 4—reduce child mortality by two thirds—is to be achieved, Africa has the challenge of accelerating the narrowing of this gap.
Improving Maternal Health Through Education: Safe Motherhood Is a Necessity
By Rita Luthra01.12.2007
Education improves health, while health improves learning potential. Education and health complement, enhance and support each other; together, they serve as the foundation for a better world. To be able to read, write and calculate has been acknowledged as a human right.
Keep the Promise for Mothers and Children: An Agenda to Improve Maternal and Child Health
By Francisco Songane01.12.2007
Despite the concerted efforts of many players, global progress in child survival has slowed compared to the advances of previous decades. Maternal mortality—deaths of women in pregnancy and childbirth—remains at almost the same level as 20 years ago.
Making Pregnancy Safer in Least Developed Countries The Challenge of Delivering Available Services
By Quazi Monirul Islam01.12.2007
The international community came together 20 years ago in Nairobi, Kenya, to launch the Safe Motherhood Initiative and highlight the most striking inequity in public health. This global initiative was developed to generate political will, identify effective interventions and mobilize resources that would rectify a horrifying injustice.
Reproductive Health in the African Region. What Has Been Done to Improve the Situation?
By Tigest Ketsela01.12.2007
Africa accounts for about one tenth of the world’s population and 20 per cent of global births; yet, nearly half of the mothers who die during pregnancy and childbirth are from this region. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that poor reproductive health accounts for up to 18 per cent of the global burden of disease, and 32 per cent of the total burden of disease for women of reproductive age.
Combatting AIDS: What More Needs to Be Done?
By Peter Piot01.12.2007
The first disease to be the subject of debates in the United Nations, both in the Security Council and the General Assembly special sessions, AIDS is one of the top ten leading causes of death worldwide.
Combatting HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa -- Investing in Health Can Make the Difference
By Michel Kazatchkine01.12.2007
Globalization is a powerful driver for development and the generation of wealth. But even as the world becomes more interconnected, hundreds of millions of women, men and children are still confined to extreme poverty, hunger, illiteracy and disease.
The Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria -- Past Progress and Hope for the Future
By Edward W. Scott, Jr.01.12.2007
Each year, 2.5 million people become infected with HIV, 8 million contract tuberculosis (TB), and between 300 million and 500 million fall ill from malaria. Together, these diseases kill more than 5 million people per year, the equivalent of a full 747 airplane crashing every 44 minutes1.
Poverty, Malaria and the Right to Health -- Exploring the Connections
By Paul Hunt01.12.2007
Malaria is an extremely serious human rights issue. Six out of eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) cannot be achieved without tackling this disease. It is both a cause and a consequence of poverty. Its impact is especially ferocious on the poorest: those least able to afford preventive measures and medical treatment.
Water and Sanitation: The Silent Emergency
By Barbara Frost01.12.2007
In December 2006, the UN General Assembly declared 2008 as the International Year of Sanitation. The intention was to raise awareness of the importance of sanitation and encourage Governments, partners and communities to embrace the need for urgent action to reduce the number of people living without this basic service.
Clean Drinking Water and Sanitation: The Experience in the Arab Region
By Habib N. El-Habr 01.12.2007
The Arab region, for the most part, is characterized by dry, harsh climatic conditions and associated scarce water resources. The average annual rainfall is less than 250 mm in 70 per cent of the region and less than 100 mm in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
Supporting Towns and Cities to Achieve the MDGs -- Improving the Lives of Slum Dwellers
By Anna Tibaijuka01.12.2007
It has been eight years since world leaders made a commitment to eradicate extreme poverty through the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). These Goals are aimed at achieving universal primary education, empowering women, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, fighting HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, ensuring environmental sustainability, and forging a new partnership for development.
About this Issue
UN Chronicle, Volume XLIV, Issue 4, 2007
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 many 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.
Cover Information: A student of the Schiefflin Institute in Liberia putting fertilizer on a rice field. Under a youth development programme undertaken by the Government, school boys are taught horticulture and farming in an effort to increase agricultural production in the country. For some time to come the poorer countries of the world will have to rely on agriculture to raise their living standards and supply the capital they need to create industries. UN Photo/G. Tortoli.