| MDGs see some progress but also drawbacks, the 2012 progress report notes |
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According to the 2012 report on the progress achieved in realising the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, some important targets could be met whilst others have seen a slowdown. The progress in targets, such as on poverty, water and slums, continues however to be overshadowed by inequalities at local, state and regional level, with Africa experiencing the lowest improvement rates overall, the report reads. The report was launched by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on 2 July in New York, during the annual session of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). For the first time since the initiation of the MDGs in 2000, all regions have seen improvements in the reduction of poverty rates, including Sub-Saharan Africa, the report notes. The number of people living on less than $1.25 could be halved at 1990 level so that MDG 1 could be met three years ahead of the 2015 deadline. Another important achievement is the improvement of living-conditions for slum-dwellers, including the provision of improved sanitation facilities and better housing, the report reads. With regards to MDG 3 on achieving universal primary education by 2015, the report indicates an overall improvement in the enrolment rates and notes that parity between boys and girls in primary education could be achieved. Though Sub-Saharan Africa is still clearly behind concerning primary school enrolment rates, a remarkable increase from 58 to 76 per cent was observed between 1999 and 2010. Whereas Ban Ki-moon labelled the results as “a tremendous reduction in human suffering and … a clear validation of the approach embodied in the MDGs”, he also pointed to the remaining challenges in meeting all targets by 2015. Some targets, such as reducing the number of child deaths and improving maternal health have seen a slow-down in recent times and will need particular attention if improvements are to be accelerated significantly, Ban noted. And whereas the target on improving access to safe drinking water could be achieved, 2.5 billion people in developing countries still lack access to improved sanitation facilities, the report notes. It is estimated that by 2015, only 67 per cent coverage will be reached, falling short of the 75 per cent needed to achieve the MDG target. The progress in meeting the MDG targets by 2015 has been also overshadowed by persisting inequalities at local, state and regional level, the report warns, pointing to the great regional differences in the achievements made. Some of the goals could be met due to the significant improvements in living standards in fast-growing economies, such as China and India, whilst Africa has seen significantly less improvements overall, the report states. Critics have therefore called for a stronger focus on regional differences in the debate on the post-2015 MDG agenda. The UN System Task Team, responsible for the consultations on the future of the MDG agenda, recently published its latest report entitled “Realizing the Future We want for All”. The work will feed into plans to establish Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as endorsed at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), in June 2012. Discussions are on-going and are expected to be characterised by controversial discussions between developed and developing countries. A concrete post-2015 agenda is to be agreed by 2014. To read the 2012 MDG Progress Report, please click here: United Nations Millennium Development Goals (pdf) To read the post-2015 MDG Report, please click here: United Nations Millennium Development Goals (pdf) Sources:
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