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Background
The aim of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is to
encourage development by improving social and economic conditions
in the world's poorest countries. They derive from earlier international
development targets,[2] and were officially established following the
Millennium Summit in 2000, where all world leaders present adopted
the United Nations Millennium Declaration.
Nations in the Twenty-First Century’.[3] Additional input was prepared by the Millennium Forum, which brought
together representatives of over 1,000 non-governmental and civil society organisations from more than 100
countries. The Forum met in May 2000 to conclude a two-year consultation process covering issues such as poverty
eradication, environmental protection, human rights and protection of the vulnerable. The approval of the MDGs was
possibly the main outcome of the Millennium Summit. In the area of peace and security, the adoption of the Brahimi
Report was seen as properly equipping the organization to carry out the mandates given by the Security Council.
Progress
Progress towards reaching the goals has been uneven. Some countries have achieved many of the goals,[24] while
others are not on track to realize any.[25] The major countries that have been achieving their goals include China
(whose poverty population has reduced from 452 million to 278 million) and India due to clear internal and external
factors of population and economic development.[26] However, areas needing the most reduction, such as the
Sub-Saharan Africa regions have yet to make any drastic changes in improving their quality of life. In the same time
as China, the Sub-Saharan Africa reduced their poverty about one percent, and are at a major risk of not meeting the
MDGs by 2015.[26] [Fundamental issues [27]] will determine whether or not the MDGs are achieved, namely [gender
[28]
], the divide between the [humanitarian and development agendas [29]] and [economic growth [30]], according to
researchers at the Overseas Development Institute.[31]
Achieving the MDGs does not depend on economic growth alone and expensive solutions. In the case of MDG 4,
some developing countries like Bangladesh have shown that it is possible to reduce child mortality with only modest
growth by rolling out inexpensive but effective interventions, such as measles immunisation, widely.[32]
Goal 8 of the Millennium Development Goals is unique in the sense that it focuses on donor government
commitments and achievements, rather than successes in the developing world. The Commitment to Development
Index, published annually by the Center for Global Development is often considered to be the numerical targeting
indicator for the 8th MDG.[33] It is a more comprehensive measure of donor progress than simply Official
Development Assistance as it takes into account policies on a number of indicators that affect developing countries
such as trade, migration, and investment.
To accelerate progress towards the MDGs, the G-8 Finance Ministers met in London in June 2005 (in preparation for
the G-8 Gleneagles Summit in July) and reached an agreement to provide enough funds to the World Bank, the IMF,
and the African Development Bank (ADB) to cancel an additional $40–55 billion debt owed by members of the
HIPC. This would allow impoverished countries to re-channel the resources saved from the forgiven debt to social
programs for improving health and education and for alleviating poverty.[34]
Backed by G-8 funding, the World Bank, the IMF, and the ADB each endorsed the Gleaneagles plan and
implemented the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative ("MDRI") to effectuate the debt cancellations. The MDRI
supplements HIPC by providing each country that reaches the HIPC completion point 100% forgiveness of its
multilateral debt. Countries that previously reached the decision point became eligible for full debt forgiveness once
their lending agency confirmed that the countries had continued to maintain the reforms implemented during HIPC
status. Other countries that subsequently reach the completion point automatically receive full forgiveness of their
multilateral debt under MDRI.[34]
While the World Bank and ADB limit MDRI to countries that complete the HIPC program, the IMF's MDRI
eligibility criteria are slightly less restrictive so as to comply with the IMF's unique "uniform treatment" requirement.
Instead of limiting eligibility to HIPC countries, any country with annual per capita income of $380 or less qualifies
for MDRI debt cancellation. The IMF adopted the $380 threshold because it closely approximates the countries
eligible for HIPC.[34]
Yet, as 2015 approaches, increasing global uncertainties such as the economic crisis and climate change have led to
an opportunity to rethink the MDG approach to development policy. According to the 'In Focus' Policy Brief from
the Institute of Development Studies, the 'After 2015' debate[35] is about questioning the value of an MDG-type,
target-based approach to international development, about progress so far on poverty reduction, about looking to an
uncertain future and exploring what kind of system is needed after the MDG deadline has passed.[36]
Further developments in rethinking strategies and approaches to achieving the MDGs include research by the
Overseas Development Institute into the role of equity.[37] Researchers at the ODI argue progress can be accelerated
due to recent breakthroughs in the role equity plays in creating a virtuous circle where rising equity ensures the poor
participate in their country's develop and creates reductions in poverty and financial stability.[37] Yet equity should
Millennium Development Goals 8
not be understood purely as economic, but also as political. Examples abound and include Brazil's cash transfers,
Uganda's eliminations of user fees and the subsequent huge increase in in visits from the very poorest or else
Mauritius's dual-track approach to liberalisation (inclusive growth and inclusive development) aiding it on its road
into the World Trade Organization.[37] Researchers at the ODI thus propose equity be measured in league tables in
order to provide a clearer insight into how MDGs can be achieved more quickly; the ODI is working with partners to
put forward league tables at the 2010 MDG review meeting.[37]
The effects of increasing drug use have been noted by the International Journal of Drug Policy as a deterrent to the
goal of the MDGs.[38]
Other development scholars, such as Naila Kabeer, Caren Grown, and Noeleen Heyzer argue that an increased focus
on women’s empowerment and gender mainstreaming of MDGs-related policies will accelerate the progress of the
MDGs. Kabeer argues that increasing women’s empowerment and access to paid work will help reduce child
mortality.[39] She supports her point with evidence that South Asian countries with the high levels in of gender
discrimination that limit women’s access to food and healthcare cause these same countries to have the highest rates
of low birth weight babies in the world.[39] This is because women experiencing malnutrition have low birth weight
babies. Since low-birth weight babies have limited chances of survival, improving women’s health by increasing
their bargaining power in the family through paid work, will reduce child mortality.[39] Another way empowering
women will help accelerate the MDGs is the inverse relationship between mother’s schooling and child-morality, as
well as the positive correlation between increasing a mother’s agency over unearned income and health outcomes of
her children, especially girls.[39] Increasing a mother’s education and workforce participation increases these
effects.[39] Lastly empowering women by creating economic opportunities for women decreases women’s
participation in the sex market which decreases the spread of AIDS, a MDG in itself (MDG 6A).[39]
Grown asserts that the resources, technology and knowledge exist to decrease poverty through improving gender
equality, it is just the political will that is missing.[40] She argues that if donor countries and developing countries
together focused on seven “priority areas”: increasing girl’s completion of secondary school, guarantying sexual and
reproductive health rights, improving infrastructure to ease women’s and girl’s time burdens, guaranteeing women’s
property rights, reducing gender inequalities in employment, increasing seats held by women in government, and
combating violence against women, great progress could be made towards the MDGs.[40]
Both Kabeer and Heyzer believe that the current MDGs targets do not place enough emphasis on tracking gender
inequalities in poverty reduction and employment as there are only gender goals relating to health, education and
political representation.[39] [41] In order to encourage women’s empowerment and progress towards the MDGs,
increased emphasis should be placed on gender mainstreaming development policies and collecting data based on
gender.
Graphs from the Millennium Development Goals Report 2010
Millennium Development Goals 9
Related Organizations
The United Nations Millennium Campaign is a UNDP campaign unit to increase support to achieve the Millennium
Development Goals and seek a coalition of partners for action. The Millennium Campaign targets intergovernmental,
government, civil society organizations and media at both global and regional levels.
The Millennium Promise Alliance, Inc., or Millennium Promise,[53] is a U.S.-based non-profit organization dedicated
to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and founded in 2005 by renown international economist
and Special Advisor on the MDGs to the UN Secretary General, Professor Jeffrey Sachs, and Wall Street leader and
philanthropist, Ray Chambers. Millennium Promise coordinates a project, the Millennium Villages Project,[54] in
partnership with Columbia University's Earth Institute and the UNDP that aims to demonstrate the feasibility of
achieving the Goals through an integrated and community-led approach to holistic development. The Millennium
Villages Project currently operates in 14 sites across 10 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
The Global Poverty Project [55] is an international education and advocacy organisation using its multimedia
presentation 1.4 Billion Reasons to educate people about the Millennium Development Goals and our capacity to end
extreme poverty within a generation. They travel to workplaces, schools, universities, community groups and
churches around Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States to equip people with the
knowledge and resources they need to encourage the achievement of the MDGs.
The Micah Challenge is an international campaign that encourages Christians to support the Millennium
Development Goals. Their aim is to "encourage our leaders to halve global poverty by 2015."[56]
8 Visions of Hope is a global art project that explores and shows how art, culture, artists & musicians as positive
change agents can help in the realization of the eight UN Millennium Development Goals.[57]
The Development Education Unit of Future Worlds Center envisions, designs and implements development
education awareness campaigns, trainings, conferences and resources since 2005. Leads a number of European-wide
projects such as the Accessing Development Education and TeachMDGs.
References
[1] Background page (http:/ / www. un. org/ millenniumgoals/ bkgd. shtml), United Nations Millennium Development Goals website, retrieved
16 June 2009.
[2] The OECD and the Millennium Development Goals (http:/ / www. oecd. org/ document/ 37/ 0,3746,en_2649_33721_34087845_1_1_1_1,00.
html), OECD Development Co-operation Directorate website, retrieved 11 June 2011.
[3] http:/ / www. google. co. uk/ url?sa=t& source=web& cd=1& sqi=2& ved=0CCgQFjAA& url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww. bwpi. manchester. ac.
uk%2Fresources%2FWorking-Papers%2Fbwpi-wp-1607. pdf& rct=j& q=hulme%20millennium%20development%20goals&
ei=BZjjTZmtKoqWhQfMs-zyBw& usg=AFQjCNEF6JWNgH-2fNAg0j5tgk6kZOUd0g& cad=rja
[4] Can the MDGs provide a pathway to social justice?: The challenge of intersecting inequalities. 2010. Naila Kabeer for Institute of
Development Studies.
[5] Deneulin, Séverine, with Lila Shahani. 2009. An Introduction to the Human Development and Capability Approach: Freedom and Agency.
Sterling, VA: Earthscan. http:/ / www. idrc. ca/ en/ ev-146686-201-1-DO_TOPIC. html#ch03note8. Accessed 11/15/10.
[6] Hulme, D. and Scott, J., 2010, "The Politial Economy of the MDGs: Retrospect and Prospect fro the World's Biggest Promise", New Political
Economy, 15(2), pp.293-306
[7] http:/ / www. bwpi. manchester. ac. uk/ resources/ Working-Papers/ bwpi-wp-1607. pdf
Millennium Development Goals 14
[8] United Nations. 2006. "The Millennium Development Goals Report: 2006." United Nations Development Programme,
www.undp.org/publications/MDGReport2006.pdf (accessed January 2, 2008).
[9] Andy Haines and Andrew Cassels. 2004. Can The Millennium Development Goals Be Attained? BMJ: British Medical Journal, Vol. 329, No.
7462 (Aug. 14, 2004), pp. 394-397.
[10] http:/ / www. un. org/ millenniumgoals/ poverty. shtml etc.
[11] MDG Monitor (http:/ / www. mdgmonitor. org)
[12] http:/ / siteresources. worldbank. org/ DATASTATISTICS/ Resources/ MDGsOfficialList2008. pdf - list of goals, targets, and indicators
[13] MDG Monitor:Goal 1 (http:/ / www. mdgmonitor. org/ goal1. cfm)
[14] MDG Monitor:Goal 2 (http:/ / www. mdgmonitor. org/ goal2. cfm)
[15] MDG Monitor:Goal 3 (http:/ / www. mdgmonitor. org/ goal3. cfm)
[16] MDG Monitor:Goal 4 (http:/ / www. mdgmonitor. org/ goal4. cfm)
[17] MDG Monitor:Goal 5 (http:/ / www. mdgmonitor. org/ goal5. cfm)
[18] MDG Monitor:Goal 6 (http:/ / www. mdgmonitor. org/ goal6. cfm)
[19] MDG Monitor:Goal 7 (http:/ / www. mdgmonitor. org/ goal7. cfm)
[20] MDG Monitor:Goal 8 (http:/ / www. mdgmonitor. org/ goal8. cfm)
[21] Amir Attaran. 2005. An Immeasurable Crisis? A Criticism of the Millennium Development Goals and Why They Cannot Be Measured.
2005. PLoS Medicine | October 2005 | Volume 2 | Issue 10 | e318
[22] McArthur JW, Sachs JD, Schmidt-Traub G. Response to Amir Attaran. 2005. PLoS Med 2(11): e379. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0020379
[23] Andy Haines and Andrew Cassels. 2004. Can The Millennium Development Goals Be Attained? BMJ: British Medical Journal, Vol. 329,
No. 7462 (Aug. 14, 2004), pp. 394-397
[24] http:/ / www. mdgmonitor. org/ country_progress. cfm?c=BRA& cd=
[25] http:/ / www. mdgmonitor. org/ country_progress. cfm?c=BEN& cd=
[26] http:/ / econ. lse. ac. uk/ staff/ rburgess/ wp/ jep11. pdf
[27] http:/ / www. odi. org. uk/ resources/ details. asp?id=1933& title=achieving-mdgs-fundamentals/
[28] http:/ / www. odi. org. uk/ resources/ download/ 2386. pdf/
[29] http:/ / www. odi. org. uk/ resources/ details. asp?id=1937& title=mdgs-humanitarian-development-divide/
[30] http:/ / www. odi. org. uk/ resources/ details. asp?id=4892& title=millennium-development-goals-equitable-growth-policy-brief/
[31] "ODI Resources" (http:/ / www. odi. org. uk/ resources/ search. asp?series=& type=& theme=& country=& programme=& staff=& year=&
language=& search=MDGs). Papers on MDGs. . Retrieved 29 June 2011.
[32] Addressing the inequalities in child survival (http:/ / www. savethechildren. org. uk/ blogs/ 2010/ 08/
addressing-the-inequalities-in-child-survival/ )
[33] Human Development Report 2003 (http:/ / www. unmillenniumproject. org/ documents/ hdr03_complete. pdf)
[34] E. Carrasco, C.McClellan, & J. Ro (2007), "Foreign Debt: Forgiveness antetretetred Repudiation" University of Iowa Center for
International Finance and Development E-Book (http:/ / www. uiowa. edu/ ifdebook/ ebook2/ contents/ part4-I. shtml)
[35] http:/ / www. thebrokeronline. eu/ en/ Online-discussions/ Blogs/ After-2015
[36] 'After 2015: Rethinking Pro-Poor Policy' (http:/ / www. ids. ac. uk/ download. cfm?file=IF9. 1. pdf) Institute of Development Studies (IDS)
In Focus Policy Brief 9.1. June 2009.
[37] Vandemoortele, Milo (2010) The MDGs and equity (http:/ / www. odi. org. uk/ resources/ details. asp?id=4895& title=mdgs-equity)
Overseas Development Institute
[38] Singer, M. 2008. Drugs and development: The global impact of drug use and trafficking on social and economic development. International
Journal of Drug Policy 19 (6):467-478.
[39] Kabeer, Naila. 2003. Gender Mainstreaming in Poverty Eradication and the Millennium Development Goals: A Handbook for
Policy-Makers and Other Stakeholders. Commonwealth Secretariat.
[40] Grown, Caren. 2005. “Answering the Skeptics: Achieving Gender Equality and the Millennium Development Goals.” Development 48(3):
82–86.
[41] Noeleen Heyzer. 2005. Making the Links: Women's Rights and Empowerment Are Key to Achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
Gender and Development, Vol. 13, No. 1, Millennium Development Goals (Mar., 2005), pp. 9-12
[42] Singer, M. 2008. Drugs and development: The global impact of drug use and trafficking on social and economic development. International
Journal of Drug Policy 19 (6):467-478
[43] http:/ / www. unmillenniumproject. org/ press/ 07. htm
[44] http:/ / www. unmillenniumproject. org/ reports/ costs_benefits2. htm
[45] http:/ / www. unmillenniumproject. org/ documents/ 07_aconf198-11. pdf
[46] http:/ / www. usunnewyork. usmission. gov/ fact_sheet/ ecosoc_Chapter_4_apr15. pdf
[47] http:/ / www. unmillenniumproject. org/ documents/ EUExternalRelations24May. pdf
[48] http:/ / bproject. wordpress. com/ 2007/ 06/ 08/ borgen-on-capitol-hill/
[49] http:/ / bproject. wordpress. com/ 2006/ 12/ 10/ borgens-2006-congressional-meetings/
[50] http:/ / www. unmillenniumproject. org/ documents/ endorse_TI_19Jan05. pdf
[51] "Bush Balks at Pact to Fight Poverty" (http:/ / www. businessweek. com/ bwdaily/ dnflash/ sep2005/ nf2005092_5264_db039. htm).
BusinessWeek online. September 2, 2005. .
Millennium Development Goals 15
[52] http:/ / www. ausaid. gov. au/ media/ release. cfm?BC=Media& ID=5854_3696_6753_7484_7221
[53] www.millenniumpromise.org
[54] www.millenniumvillages.org
[55] http:/ / www. globalpovertyproject. com
[56] http:/ / www. micahchallenge. org. au/
[57] http:/ / www. 8visionsofhope. org/
[58] http:/ / www. developmenteducation. info/ /
[59] http:/ / teachmdgs. net/ / /
External links
United Nations
• UN Millennium Development Goals (http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/)
• Review Summit 2010 (http://www.un.org/en/mdg/summit2010)
• United Nations Millennium Declaration (http://www.un.org/millennium/declaration/ares552e.htm)
• UN Stats Division - MDGs (http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/)
• UN Development Programme - Section on MDGs (http://www.undp.org/mdg/)
Others
• Overseas Development Institute on MDGs (http://www.odi.org.uk/work/themes/details.asp?id=37&
title=millennium-development-goals-mdgs)
• World Bank eAtlas of the Millennium Development Goals (http://www.app.collinsindicate.com)
• 8 Visions of Hope - Where Art meets the UN Millennium Development Goals (http://www.8visionsofhope.org)
• Quality of Life Index (http://www.aer.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=242&Itemid=60)
• Blueprint for a Better World - the Millennium Development Goals and You (http://www.
blueprintforabetterworld.org)
• Caritas Australia - Make Poverty History with the Millennium Development Goals (http://www.caritas.org.au/
AM/Template.cfm?Section=Make_Poverty_History1)
• Millennium Development Goals Browser at OpenEconomics.net (http://www.openeconomics.net/mdg/)
(includes full dataset in easily downloadable form)
• Millennium Development Goals Indicators: MDG Dashboard (downloadable database) (http://esl.jrc.it/dc/
mdg_unsd/index.htm)
• MDG Progress Monitor produced by UN (http://www.mdgmonitor.org/index.cfm)
• World Bank Site on MDGs (http://www.developmentgoals.org)
• Development Goals information site (http://www.developmentgoals.com/)
• End Poverty 2015 - UN Millennium Campaign (http://www.endpoverty2015.org)
• Ideas for Development - blog of heads of International Development Agencies (http://www.ideas4development.
org)
• MDG Africa Steering Group (http://www.mdgafrica.org)
• Generation 21 (http://www.g21.com/)
• The International (http://www.theinternationalonline.com) Many articles on MDGs
• Country profile on Maternal and Newborn Health by Making Pregnancy Safer, World Health Organization (http:/
/www.who.int/making_pregnancy_safer/countries/en/index.html)
• Right to education Project (http://www.right-to-education.org/)
• Collaborative short film shot in Yemen, Egypt, Jordan and Morocco on the MDGs produced by Cortlan McManus
(http://cine.ma/2015)
• Time for School (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/episodes/time-for-school-series/introduction/4340/)
An ongoing PBS documentary series that follows 7 children from 7 countries who are struggling to achieve a
Millennium Development Goals 16
basic education. The series continues through 2015, the U.N.’s target date for achieving universal education
(MDG #2)
• Masterclass on MDGs Review (http://www.eadi.org/events/forthcoming-events/eadi-masterclass/
on-the-road-to-new-york-mdgs-review-and-beyond.html)
• IPS News - MDGs Special Report (http://ipsnews.net/new_focus/devdeadline/index.asp)
• MDGs and Transparency (http://www.right2info-mdgs.org)
• Technical updates on MDGs are available at www.childsurvival.net
Article Sources and Contributors 17
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