Millennium and Sustainable Development Goals

What were the MDGs?

At the beginning of the new millennium, world leaders gathered at the United Nations to shape a broad vision to fight
poverty in its many dimensions. This meeting of numerous world leaders in 2000 at UN headquarters in New York was
called the Millennium Summit and it resulted in the presentation and adoption of the UN Millennium Declaration. From
this declaration were derived basic eight goals called the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Essentially, MDGs were
nothing more than a translation of the vision to fight and eradicate multi-dimensional poverty into quantifiable targets.
These eight goals were as follows:
1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Develop a global partnership for development
Each of these goals was divided into a number of statistical targets so that the goals and work related to achieve them
was streamlined and quantified in order to make it easier to judge whether or not a particular goal had been met. This
went a long way in measuring the successes and failures of MDGs.

Background: Reasons for Setting the Goals

There were a number of motivations behind the setting of MDGs. Up until the year 2000, the global policy orthodoxy had
focused on development through macroeconomic restructuring and had achieved only limited results. Backward
economies with similar primitive power and political structures could not be relied upon to modernize their economies.
So there were renewed efforts for development but in a new way.
1. After the Cold War, non-political problems grasped the attention of global leaders
2. The concept of human security and resurgence of liberal agenda helped the same cause
3. Globalization in all its dimensions (political, economic, social and ecological) led to an increase in efforts for
integration
4. The North-South gap had led to criticisms of the global economic, financial and trade systems – globalization and
modernization of the basic elements of global governance led to a greater divide rather than integration
So a people oriented approach had to be adopted to placate the fears and apprehensions of various people especially
those in the third world though that does not mean that the goals were specific only to the third world. The MDGs were
global in scope and nature and all countries that adopted the Millennium Declaration – whether they belonged to the first
world or the third world – were expected to make policies to achieve these goals at the national levels.

Criticism of MDGs in General

1. 1990 as Base Year: the targets set compared everything to what it was in 1990. The only useful targets are those
which are measured against the present situation, not with some situation in the past.
2. Too Ambitious in Nature: MDGs have been criticized by many for setting unrealistic goals – too much in too little
time.
3. Not Based on Research: no research was done – which country needs how much support and what are the country
specific problems that need to be dealt with on priorities defined by the conditions of those countries. A one size
fits all approach was taken without any evidence to back it up beyond doubt.
4. Too Quantitative in Nature: by focusing too much on statistical targets, MDGs have sacrificed quality. Countries
may have reached more than 90% enrolment rates in primary schools but there has been no focus on the quality
of education they are getting.
5. Skewed Data and Figures: due to the above point i.e. targets being too quantitative, countries had an incentive to
present data that was manipulated to improve their own image and make them appear better than they are. Some
countries even did away with reporting on some of the problems they faced (their failures) in order to save face.
MDGs: The Targets
MDGs
Goal 1: Combat Poverty and Hunger
Goal 2: Universal Primary Education
Goal 3: Gender Equality and Women Empowerment
Goal 4: Child Mortality
Goal 5: Maternal Health Care
Goal 6: Combating Diseases
Goal 7: Environmental Sustainability
Goal 8: Global Partnership for Development
Targets
Target 1A: Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people living on less than $1.25 a day
Target 1B: Achieve Decent Employment for Women, Men, and Young People
Target 1C: Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger
Target 2A: By 2015, all children can complete a full course of primary schooling, girls and boys
Target 3A: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005, and at all
levels by 2015
Target 4A: Reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate
Target 5A: Reduce by three quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio
Target 5B: Achieve, by 2015, universal access to reproductive health
Target 6A: Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS
Target 6B: Achieve, by 2010, universal access to treatment for HIV/AIDS for all those who need it
Target 6C: Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases
Target 7A: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programs;
reverse loss of environmental resources
Target 7B: Reduce biodiversity loss, achieving, by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate of loss
Target 7C: Halve, by 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking
water and basic sanitation
Target 7D: By 2020, to have achieved a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum-
dwellers
Target 8A: Develop further an open, rule-based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial
system
Target 8B: Address the Special Needs of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs)
Target 8C: Address the special needs of landlocked developing countries and small island developing
States
Target 8D: Deal comprehensively with the debt problems of developing countries through national and
international measures in order to make debt sustainable in the long term
Target 8E: In co-operation with pharmaceutical companies, provide access to affordable, essential drugs
in developing countries
Target 8F: In co-operation with the private sector, make available the benefits of new technologies,
especially information and communications
Unprecedented Efforts have resulted in Profound Achievements

1. Goal 1: globally, the number of people living in extreme poverty has declined by more than half, falling from 1.9 billion in 1990 to 836 million in 2015.
2. Goal 2: the number of out-of-school children of primary school age worldwide has fallen by almost half, to an estimated 57 million in 2015, down from
100 million in 2000.
3. Goal 3: in Southern Asia, only 74 girls were enrolled in primary school for every 100 boys in 1990. In 2015, there were 103 girls are enrolled for every 100
boys. Women have gained ground in parliamentary representation in nearly 90 per cent of the 174 countries with data over the past 20 years. But they
constitute only 23% of the total seats in legislatures.
4. Goal 4: the global under-five mortality rate has declined by more than half, dropping from 90 to 43 deaths per 1,000 live births between 1990 and 2015.
Measles vaccination helped prevent nearly 15.6 million deaths between 2000 and 2013. The number of globally reported measles cases declined by 67
per cent for the same period.
5. Goal 5: since 1990, the maternal mortality ratio has declined by 45 per cent worldwide, and most of the reduction has occurred since 2000.
6. Goal 6: new HIV infections fell by approximately 40 per cent between 2000 and 2013, from an estimated 3.5 million cases to 2.1 million. Between 2000
and 2013, tuberculosis prevention, diagnosis and treatment interventions saved an estimated 37 million lives.
7. Goal 7: globally, 147 countries have met the drinking water target, 95 countries have met the sanitation target and 77 countries have met both. Worldwide,
2.1 billion people have gained access to improved sanitation.
8. Goal 8: official development assistance from developed countries increased by 66 per cent in real terms between 2000 and 2014, reaching $135.2 billion.
Analysis of the MDGs: Reasons for their Failure
1. Too Ambitious in Nature: this has been explained above
2. War on Terror: this led to a sharp diversion of attention. Instead of focusing on the various elements of human
security, the world got fixated on one specific issue – that of terrorism. As a result of that, eventually no counter
terrorism initiatives were taken, there was a surge in terrorist activity and the development goals were sacrificed.
3. Global Financial Crisis: this also diverted the world’s attention and made cash flows to developing countries and
LDCs difficult as developed countries themselves had to adopt policies for their own economic stability.
4. Increase in Population Coupled with Multifaceted Crises: almost every region of the world, save Europe, has
witnessed a net increase in population. In Sub-Saharan Africa for example, an increase in population created
greater problems when droughts and famines hit the region. The outbreak of Ebola was another menace with
which the people of the region were not well equipped to deal, leading to a large number of deaths within a short
period.
5. Non-Serious Attitude with respect to Climate Change: the general attitude towards Kyoto Protocol to the UNFCCC
revealed what the global political community thought about an issue which could potentially (and some say that
it has already) initiate a sixth mass extinction in which the dominant species will definitely change. Recently, the
future of Paris Agreement has also become uncertain.
6. Issues with the Flow of Aid: although there were aid flows from developed to developing countries, the flows were
not continuous due to which the efforts made by third world countries were marked by periods of inactivity. Plus,
the flows were substantial in the beginning but started to die out with time.

MDGs and Pakistan

 Efforts by Pakistan to Achieve the Targets
1. Initiatives for Poverty Reduction: social safety nets such as BISP, Zakat fund, Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund etc.
2. Initiatives for Education: various schools have been established and efforts for increasing enrolments have been
made such as Education for All. Schools that are specifically for children who are also employed (child labour) have
also been made and are under way. Free primary education was being given to children during the Musharraf
years, especially in Punjab. Danish school initiative (though not quite useful) was also taken. Spending has also
increased though it is not enough and is misspent.
3. Initiatives for Health: primary and secondary health care centers have been established at a lot of places. Rescue
1122 service and other emergency response teams have been well trained. Better maternal health care is being
ensured though not it is not ideal. Lady Health Worker Program (LHW), Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI),
National Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health Program (MNCH), and programs for the control of HIV/AIDS and
malaria have had mixed results. Spending on health however remains low.
4. Establishment of CPRID in 2002: UN supported the Planning Commission to establish the Center for Research in
Poverty and Income Distribution to monitor the progress on MDGs. It was discontinued in 2008 due to change in
government
5. Establishment of CPRSP in 2008: the program was restarted under a new name, Center for Poverty Reduction and
Social Policy Development (CPRSP) but it was delayed due to non-devolution of power to the local levels and was
later done away with in 2010 due to shortage of funds.
6. Establishment of GC in 2010: Planning Commission’s new endeavour titled Growth Center could not last long
either and had to be shut down very soon.
7. Establishment of National Coordination Committee: the Planning Commission established this committee to
coordinate with the ministries and provinces on the issue of development. It formulated the Acceleration
Framework for Health and Education but eventually due to inefficiencies and bureaucratic hurdles, the committee
was unable to present final reports on Pakistan’s performance on MDGs.
8. Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement Survey: the UN provided funds to the Planning Commission’s
CPRID in the beginning to work in tandem with the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics to perform a survey in order to
measure Pakistan’s performance on different targets of MDGs. But this survey was never carried even once.
9. Vision 2025 and 2030: the document explains Pakistan’s own goals and lays down as a principle, increased
spending on human development instead of infrastructure development but these are mere claims as evidence
presents a different reality.
 Reasons for Failure of MDGs in Pakistan
External reasons have been discussed above in general, under the reasons for failure of MDGs. Internal reasons particular
to Pakistan include the following:
1. Natural disasters such as the 2005 earthquakes and post-2010 floods that reversed all the gains made
2. Mismanagement of aid due to corruption and misplaced priorities
3. Provincial disharmony impedes efficient and smooth functioning of national level projects
4. Bad governance effects every project and all aid flows not to mention that it erodes the confidence of people
5. Negligence towards the poor makes it difficult to eradicate poverty – dealing and eradication are different things
6. Education is not a priority as is evident by low spending and low enrolment rates
7. Health care has been ignored for a long time
8. Patriarchal and feudal socio-religious + political set up of the country resists empowerment of women
9. Due to an overall negative image (terrorism + poor socio-economic indicators), Pakistan has been unable to forge
permanent global partnerships for development

Post-2015 Development Agenda: The SDGs

In September 2015, 194 member states of the UN adopted the 2030 development agenda titled “Transforming Our World:
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.” The agenda contains in one of its paragraphs, 17 development goals
known as SDGs, which expand on the previous MDGs. Like the 8 MDGs were backed by some 18 targets defined
statistically, the 17 SDGs are backed by a total of 169 targets and 230 indicators which measure whether or not the targets
have been met and the goals have been achieved. The 17 goals, which for broad purposes can be split into social,
economic, environmental and political goals, are as follows:
Goal Statement of the Goal
1: No Poverty End poverty in all its forms everywhere
End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote
2: Zero Hunger
sustainable agriculture
3: Good Health and Well Being Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning
4: Quality Education
opportunities for all
5: Gender Equality Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6: Clean Water & Sanitation Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7: Affordable and Clean Energy Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all
Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and
8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
productive employment and decent work for all
Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive & sustainable industrialization
9: Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure
and foster innovation
10: Reduced Inequalities Reduce inequality within and among countries
11: Sustainable Cities & Communities Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12: Responsible Consumption & Production Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13: Climate Action Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for
14: Life Below Water
sustainable development
Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems,
15: Life on Land sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land
degradation and halt biodiversity loss
Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide
16: Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions access to justice for all and build effective, accountable & inclusive institutions
at all levels
Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership
17: Partnerships for the Goals
for sustainable development

SDGs are Different from MDGs

1. More Globally Collaborative: it has been alleged that the MDGs were agreed upon by a select few people and
imposed on the world. Whether true or not, the fact remains that even a rumor of this kind can have adverse
effects. SDGs are free of any such rumors as they have been formulated after much brainstorming on the forum
of international organizations of which middle and low income countries are members.
 2. Greater Role for Private Sector: given the estimates that have been made with regards to the amount of money
required to achieve the targets set, trillions, not billions of dollars will be needed. In such a case, greater role of
the private sector will be required especially if one is to also balance between the pillars of sustainability. Certain
international groups such as the UN Global Compact and Impact 2030 are tailor made for including the private
sector in the implementation of SDGs.
3. Rooted in Human Rights Standards: the Agenda 2030 explicitly states that SDGs “seek to realize the human rights
of all” and “envisage a world of universal respect for human rights and human dignity.” This is also captured in
the statement of the goals and targets such as the universality of SDGs – they apply to all countries, are inclusive
and call out specifically to the marginalized groups. The inclusion of specific issues related to gender is also further
evidence of this.
4. SDGs are Inclusive: seven SDG targets explicitly refer to persons with disabilities, an additional six targets refer to
people in vulnerable situations, while seven targets are universal and two refer to non-discrimination. Inequality
must not be measured in terms of growth only but in terms of making sure the most excluded can exercise their
human rights as well.
5. Everything is connected: in the real world, everything is connected to everything else. Nothing exists in isolation
and SDGs recognize this principle. Gender equality, poverty, hunger, sustainable practices, climate, education etc.
are all linked for example.
6. Macroeconomic Framework and Environment: both of these were absent from MDGs but not from SDGs which
allow sustainable and equitable growth with due regards to environmental sustainability, conservation and
preservation.
7. SDGs try to overcome the Shortcomings of MDGs: the MDGs displayed a poor understanding of the root causes
of poverty and gender inequality, failed to see issues as linked to each other, and while in theory they applied to
all the countries, they were for all practical purposes, goals to be achieved by the poor countries using funds given
to them by the rich ones. SDGs try to overcome all of these shortcomings and also urge nations to commit by
formulating national policies that contribute to making SDGs a success.

Conditions for the Success of SDGs

1. Proper Leadership at all Levels: without people to lead the efforts from local to global levels, there will not be
much progress on SDGs. Leaders are needed at all levels to coordinate policies and break down targets into
achievable aims.
2. More and Better Public Private Partnership: cooperation of both is required for social, economic, financial and
environmental efforts. Half-hearted efforts from either one side will undo the gains made by the other. There is a
need to include the civil society as well.
3. Providing Solutions to Debt Problems of Third World Countries: this is a must so that third world countries do not
remain dependent on aid flows which hampers the overall progress. Furthermore, third world countries will be
able to contribute to the global fund for SDGs only if they do not have other financial commitments that they need
to fulfil first.
4. Population Control: no matter what efforts are made, if this one factor cannot be controlled then everything will
go to waste given that every habitat has a limited carrying capacity.
5. Education and Awareness Campaigns for all: everyone from children to the elderly needs to be aware of the goals
that the human species has set for itself. One individual alone may not matter but taken collectively, they can
contribute a lot at the personal level.
6. Efforts to Go Green: climate change and the need for sustainable development need to be taken seriously. Instead
of getting bogged down by politics of energy and environment, there is a need to open one’s to empirical data
and let go of the post-truth culture that has taken hold.
7. Better Measurement: there is a need for all countries to conduct surveys in an impartial manner and publish their
results without manipulation. Political considerations must give way to existential and humanistic decisions.