Millennium Development Goals

By 2015

The Reality

Goal 1

Eradicate extreme hunger and poverty

The UN recognises that 800 million people go hungry every day. Goal One will not be reached in Africa until 2147, on current trends.

Goal 2

Achieve universal primary education.

As many as 113 million children do not attend school.

Goal 3

Promote gender equality and empower women.

Two-thirds of those who are non-literate are women.

Goal 4

Reduce child mortality.

In developing countries, one child in 11 dies before its fifth birthday, compared with 1 in 143 in developed countries.

Goal 5

Improve maternal health.

In the developing world, the risk of dying in childbirth is one in 48, compared to one in 1,800 in the developed world.

Goal 6

Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.

An additional 45 million people will become infected with HIV in developing countries between 2002 and 2010, unless the world mounts a more effective campaign to halt the disease’s spread.

Goal 7

Ensure environmental sustainability. 

 At current rates of progress, 1 billion people will still have no access to clean water and 83 countries will miss the goal altogether.

Goal 8

Develop a global partnership for development.

Global aid needs to double from 50 billion US Dollars to 100 billion US Dollars per annum, if the Goals are to be achieved

 

 Source: Trócaire’s  www.keepourword.org

In a 2005 report, Trócaire found that MDGs were not being reached or were being manipulated by national governments. In response, Trócaire made four recommendations to make MDGs more feasible:

  1. Stronger emphasis on human rights, national priorities, and local participation in MDGs;
  2. Reform of Global Governance – the UN, IMF and WB, as well as the WTO - making them more democratic and more responsive to local political realities, in particular the needs of the poor;
  3. Global Trade to take account of people’s rights to food, shelter, work and health;
  4. Aid from OECD countries to be increased to 0.7% of gross national product (GNP) and the aid system reformed, including 100% debt cancellation for poorer countries, making it less dependent on rich countries’ priorities.

(Source: Trócaire, (2005) More than a Numbers Game, www.trocaire.org/policyandadvocacy/mdgs/ )

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