MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS – OUR UNDERACHIEVING “LEADERSHIP”

PREAMBLE: Under the auspices of the United Nations, from 20 to 22 September 2010, a Summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will be held in New York. With only five years left until the 2015 deadline to achieve the MDGs, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has called on world leaders to attend the summit to accelerate progress towards these goals, the overall aim of which is to reduce World Poverty. Visit the Summit website! http://www.un.org/en/mdg/summit2010/

Despite the dire need of over a billion people living in poverty around the world, the initial intentions behind the goals and efforts to showcase what had been achieved, it is increasingly clear that few if any of the MDGs will be achieved by the target year of 2015. Clearly there is a crying need for a strong reaffirmation with donor policies and resources to match.

Unfortunately, recent years have witnessed a track record littered with false promises and broken commitments and in some instances shallow comprehension of what is needed to resolve on the major issues underlying world poverty. All too often, “world leaders” have pandered to their domestic political bases rather than genuinely taking on these issues.

A case in point is Canada’s minority Conservative government whose leader Stephen Harper and fundamentalist colleagues ensured that this country’s commitment to address maternal and child health (MCH) excluded access to safe abortion, and made only weak provisions for the inclusion of family planning within Canadian funding commitments.

In fact, it is estimated that 20 million unsafe abortions occur around the world annually and that 70,000 of these result in the woman's death. Clearly there must be more emphasis on the provision of family planning, and removal of barriers to this practice and also quite obviously access to safe abortion, as a core element of a harm reduction strategy.

Harper’s approach to maternal health is in effect a northern echo of the Bush administration’s “global gag rule” (no funding for MCH unless abortion is specifically excluded), since repudiated by the Obama administration. Ironically, women in Canada long ago won the right to chose, so it is invidious that “Harper’s Canada” discriminates against these practices abroad.

There is still hope that Canada may amend this approach reasonably soon, with the return of a more compassionate philosophy. What is needed is to change the party in power, the only currently viable alternative being the Liberal Party of Canada, with (virtually guaranteed) support from all other parties: only the Conservatives (with little more than 30% public support) are holding up the need for enlightened policy.

We therefore endorse the following statement (Globe and Mail, Feb 2, 2010) made by the leader of that party, and of the official opposition Michael Ignatieff: “We want to make sure that women have access to all the contraceptive methods available to control their fertility because we don’t want to have women dying because of botched procedures, we don’t want to have women dying in misery.” This quote regains resonance in light of the looming MDG Summit next week in New York.

This example of Maternal and Child Health (MDG 5) is but one of the MDGs falling short of sufficient progress for any of them to be achieved by 2015 without an infusion of more genuine commitment by “world leaders” such as Mr Harper.

The eight MDGs are now listed for ease of reference:

Goal 1: Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger
Goal 2: Achieve Universal Primary Education
Goal 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women
Goal 4: Reduce Child Mortality
Goal 5: Improve Maternal Health
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases.
Goal 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability
Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership of Development.

NOTE: This internationally agreed framework of 8 goals and 18 targets is complemented by 48 technical indicators to measure progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. These indicators have since been adopted by a consensus of experts from the United Nations, IMF, OECD and the World Bank.

As our feature for this issue, we present below a September 10, 2010 IPS Inter-Press Service report by Aprille Muscara (full reference below).

GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT BLUEPRINT REVEALS URGENT UPHILL BATTLE
By Aprille Muscara

UNITED NATIONS, Sep 10, 2010 (IPS) - A document outlining the U.N.'s strategy to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015 was finalised Thursday after months of heated negotiations.

The text, titled "Keeping the Promise – United to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals", will be formally signed off on by world leaders at the upcoming MDG summit, which is to be held here from Sep. 20-22.

The final 27-page version, obtained by IPS, differs considerably from the 14-page "zero draft" base text from which member states inserted, amended and removed passages.

However, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) worry that the completed text, called an outcome document, falls short of the substantial action plan it was hoped to be and is instead a rehash of already-made promises and generalised commitments.

"This document lacks the adrenaline boost to accelerate the MDGs, and with only five years left, world leaders coming together in New York must commit to concrete actions that will ensure all people are lifted from poverty in our lifetime," said Emma Seery, a spokesperson for Oxfam International.

Over the years, NGOs and aid groups have advocated for a human rights-based approach to tackling the MDGs. A review of the document at different draft stages reveals the addition of key human rights language, such as inclusion of the right to development, the right to food, the right to health and the right to education.

"We recognize that the respect, promotion and protection of human rights is an integral part of effective work towards achieving the MDGs," the final document states.

But notably absent from the list is access to clean water and sanitation, which the U.N. in a resolution declared a basic human right in late July. The resolution proved to be a divisive one, however, with 41 countries, including the United States, Britain and Canada abstaining from the vote.

Although water and sanitation is not explicitly framed as a human right in the final outcome document, they appear frequently throughout as basic needs essential to achieving the MDGs.

Absent, as well, is the assertion "that gender equality is a basic human right, a fundamental value and an issue of social justice" – a statement that was inserted during the draft process but failed to make it through to the end. The final version reads: "We acknowledge the importance of gender equality and empowerment of women to achieve the MDGs."

Indeed, the evolution of the outcome document, which at one point ballooned to 38 pages, reflects a process of political wrangling over touchy wording. With its numerous additions and amendments, the final product is at once more specific in its language yet still general in its pledges.

Language on peace and security matters appears to have been especially contentious. For instance, references to "armed violence," present in the zero draft, and "transnational crime" and "trafficking in persons," introduced in subsequent drafts, as posing threats to the attainment of the MDGs have been removed entirely in favour of the more benign "conflict."

However, one instance of both "foreign occupation" and "terrorism" – new additions – as hindering achievement of the MDGs appear in the final version, reflecting a political compromise between the Group of 77, a coalition of developing countries, and the European Union and the United States.

In the final stages of ironing out problematic language, the E.U. and U.S. and the G77 were often on opposing sides in typical developed-developing, North-South fashion.

It is common practice, a U.N official told IPS, for the relevant parties to go to extremes in their proposed amendments in anticipation of having to make concessions.

Thus, the G77's insertions that claim the current global financial structure – from trade to aid – is "non- inclusive," "ineffective" and "inadequate" for developing countries were removed in place of more watered down wording stressing the need to further reform international financial systems.

A greater focus on the particular needs of the developing world, rural populations and specific mention of regional efforts by the global South in attaining the MDGs are also additions, reflecting G77 bargaining.

Meanwhile, the importance of parliaments, national ownership in developmental efforts and mutual accountability for commitments made towards achieving the MDGs suggest concessions made to the West.

Among the other numerous differences from the zero draft is an acknowledgement of the impact of the world financial crisis, volatile food and energy prices and humanitarian emergencies in stunting developmental gains. And of the eight goals, the document characterises maternal health, MDG5, as making the slowest progress. [Emphasis Added]

Also added is a litany of references to U.N. conventions, agreements and agencies, which serves to reinforce the commitments and goals made in those forums, but also highlights the world body's role in ensuring the accountability of governments.

To this end, the final document requests a "Special Event" to take place during the 68th session of the general assembly in 2013, two years shy of the deadline, to follow up on efforts made toward achieving the MDGs.

Ultimately, despite its acknowledgement of the uneven advances made thus far, the document reflects the urgent uphill battle left on the path to 2015.

"Progress on other MDGs is fragile and must be sustained to avoid reversal," it states.

Source: Muscara A. Development Blueprint Reveals Urgent Uphill Battle. IPS Inter-Press Service. Geneva Sept 10, 2010. http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=52788

FAMILY PLANNING & REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH FALL OFF GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT RADAR

WASHINGTON, June 30, 2009. On the eve of the 20th anniversary of World Population Day, the World Bank and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) warned that family planning and other reproductive health programs vital to poor women had fallen off the development radar of many low-income and donor country governments and international aid agencies.

These programs, they said, were vital to boost women’s economic and social well-being, especially during the current global economic crisis, and to reduce endemic poverty and high numbers of maternal and infant deaths.

”The global economic downturn has taken a wrecking ball to growth and development in poor countries worldwide, and has become a development emergency for women because invariably they’re the first to suffer when economic crises strike”, said Joy Phumaphi, Vice President for Human Development at the World Bank, and a former Health Minister for Botswana. “Even before this crisis began, family planning and reproductive health had fallen off the radar of low-income countries, aid donors, and development agencies with the result that we’ve lost precious time in helping women get access to these vital health services, and helping countries get on a faster track to reducing poverty.”

Delivering a keynote address at the World Bank to mark the 20th anniversary of World Population Day, UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Obaid said that investing in women was a smart choice during a time of global economic crisis and cutbacks in health budgets worldwide.

“The sad and shocking truth is that maternal mortality represents the largest health inequity in the world, and of all the Millennium Development Goals, MDG 5 to improve maternal health is lagging the farthest behind. And with the financial crisis and the reduction in budgets for health, this goal will be even harder to realize. It is not a lack of knowledge that is hindering progress; it is a lack of political will to protect the health and rights of women.”

New preliminary World Bank figures show that while official global developmentaid for health soared from US $2.9 billion in 1995 to US $14.1 billion in 2007,roughly a five-fold increase in 12 years, aid for population and reproductive health had increased much more modestly during the same period, from $901 million in 1995 to $1.9 billion in 2007. In the 35 highest-fertility countries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, aid for women's family planning and reproductive programs started at $150 million in 1995 and increased to $432 million in 2007, while overall aid for health in these 35 countries went from $915 million in 1995 to $4.9 billion in 2007. Support for population and reproductive health programs has significantly declined as a percentage of overall health aid, from about 30 percent in 1994 to 12 percent in 2008.

According to UNFPA, more than 500,000 women die each year during pregnancy and childbirth from mostly preventable and treatable medical problems. For every woman who dies, another 20 women suffer injuries and disabilities that can last a lifetime and rob them of livelihoods and physical well-being. Of all regions, Africa has the world’s highest rates of maternal mortality, at least 100 times those in developed countries.

Also speaking at the World Bank on behalf of the Obama Administration, Margaret Pollack, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, U.S. Department of State, said that falling birth rates cannot be achieved through better health programs alone and that better education for girls, equal economic opportunities for women, and fewer households living below the poverty line are also vital.

"We have seen time and time again that investing in women is an investment in families, communities, and societies. It is, in other words, an investment in our future. The United States is engaged and committed, and we look forward to working in partnership to ensure a world in which women are healthy, respected, and their rights are protected."

During the second half of the 20th century, world population more than doubled to reach 6 billion, an astonishing 3 billion increase in population in just 40 years. Although this rate has now slowed to 1.2 percent a year, an additional 75 million people are being added every year this decade. The world’s population could reach up to 9 billion by 2050, with the majority likely to live in the world’s poorest countries.

A recent World Bank report, Population Issues in the 21st Century: The Role of the World Bank, notes that family size can also greatly affect women’s jobs in the workplace. One cross-national survey suggests that the percentage of women in the labor force is directly related to national birth rates. For example, in Bolivia, there were strong links between women using contraception and having jobs outside of the home. In the Philippines, the average income growth for women with 1-3 pregnancies was twice that of women who had been pregnant more than seven times. The globe’s highest birth rates are found in Sub-Saharan Africa, where average fertility remains above five children per woman.

”The low status of women often poses a barrier because in many societies, women lack the power to make their own decisions about using contraceptives or using other reproductive healthcare”, says Joy Phumaphi of the World Bank. “Educating girls, improving economic opportunities for women, while giving them control over the design, management, and oversight of reproductive health programs, are very important ways to encourage better access to these essential health programs.”

Source: Press Release No: 2009/450/HD Washington, June 30, 2009.
For further information: World Bank Contact in Washington: Phil Hay (202) 473-1796 Cell (202) 409 2909 phay@worldbank.org UNFPA Contact in New York: Omar Gharzeddine (212) 297-5028 gharzeddine@unfpa.org