Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Parliamentarians are key to meeting the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) and their
commitment to support MDG related policies and budgets is a main factor for countries
to realistically achieve their national development goals and targets. Particular emphasis
is made on the role of women parliamentarians who are often the natural champions for
supporting social sector policies and programmes, and national development efforts.
Goals related to health (MDGs 4, 5 and 6) and gender (MDG 3) remain most challenging
in many countries, particularly in Asia, where it also requires massive infrastructure
investments, systems strengthening and sustainable capacity development, and support to
policy development and/or implementation, to ensure that they have an impact on poverty
alleviation.
Political instability, sheer population numbers, emerging issues such as HIV/AIDS,
increasing urbanization and migration, socio-economic disparities, and gender
inequalities continue to undermine MDG progress. And while access to basic health,
including reproductive health, and other social services have improved in many
countries, their quality remains poor and inadequate.
Financing MDGs requires increased understanding of evidence based costing
requirements, and improved financial planning and management to ensure effective
distribution and utilization of often scarce resources for MDG based priorities. Most
governments are still heavily reliant on external donor assistance, and sometimes,
national budgets are not properly prioritized or utilized. National governance structures
are also often lacking or weak, and many times ignores the potential role of civil society
organizations in enhancing transparency and accountability.
We further acknowledge that immediate actions are needed to address the above mentioned
concerns and challenges, in order to meet the following health and gender goals and the
respective targets set forth under each of them:
• MDG3: Gender Equality: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education,
preferably by 2005, and in all levels of education no later than 2015
• MDG 4 - Reduce Child Mortality: Reduce by two thirds the mortality rate
among children under five
• MDG 5 - Improve Maternal Health: Reduce by three quarters the maternal
mortality ratio and achieve, by 2015, universal access to reproductive health
• MDG 6 - Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other Diseases: Halt and begin to
reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS; achieve, by 2010, universal access to treatment
for HIV/AIDS for all those who need it; and halt and begin to reverse the
incidence of malaria and other major diseases.
• Relevant support for MDG-consistent national development strategies, plans and budgets
• Evidence based costing requirements for financing MDGs
• Improved financial planning and management to ensure effective distribution and utilization
of often scarce resources for MDG based priorities
• Enhancing the capacity of national logistical systems to deliver timely and quality health
commodities, essential drugs and other supplies
• Transitioning from a heavy reliance on external donor assistance to greater self sufficiency
within national budgets
• Strengthening governance structures and highlighting the role of civil society organizations
in enhancing transparency and accountability
• Considering avenues for strengthening inter-country and regional cooperation.
Examine the ratio of internal and external assistance for MDGs and
monitor the implementation