News Feature

Newsletter 10

Towards Achieving the MDGs

Designed to reducing poverty and advancing development among the poor nations of the world, the Millennium Development Goals are believed to serve as a framework that leads those nations to the desired target.

It is true that African countries in particular have been through the decades facing various development related problems that contributed to the wide scale poverty existing in their territories. Tackling this daunting challenge,surely demands commitment and resolve of the concerned nations and the backing of development partners.

Now fresh hopes are flourishing in terms of the newly advancement of some quarters of the continent. The bumpy road to sustainable development is not completely blocked for the latter, backed by the vision and direction launched by the United Nations as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The report on the MDGs by the Economic Commission for Africa released on 13 September 2005 says that Africa can move faster on MDGs.

The report adds that despite wide pessimism, some African countries are on course to meet key goals and that with the right policies, many more could meet the target date of 2015.

 In his speech at an event in Addis Ababa marking the 60 th anniversary of the United Nations Day Acting Director of the International Organizations and Economic Cooperation General Directorate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Ato Meheretab Mulugeta indicated the key role the United Nations can play in helping countries achieve the MDGs.

The Millennium Development Goals were agreed in 2000 as international benchmarks for cutting global poverty by 2015.

 In Ethiopia the MDGs were introduced in 2002 while the Africa’s first MDG Action Forum was held in the capital.

Since then, a host of activities have been undertaken by the government in line with the set goals.  The responsibility of advocating and coordinating the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), which is oriented to MDG outcomes and the MDG process in the country, was given to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development.

The United Nations Development Program 2004 report reveals that it is possible for Ethiopia to achieve access to primary education for all, women empowerment through the elimination of gender disparities in primary education, and combating HIV/AIDS, the major pillars of the MDGs. 

 The report presents the case of Ethiopia in relation to the successful promotion of the MDGs in the country as being exemplary for other countries to adapt the latter’s experience to their national contexts.

With regard to the MDG process in Ethiopia, the first national MDG report launched on July 2004 reaffirms the above. It says that “targets related to poverty, hunger, education and health are well articulated in the existing PRSP and nearly consistent with the MDGs”

Though things are on track relating to MDG activities in the country, a lot remains to be done in the long journey to reach the target.

While concerted effort needs to be made in order to reach the MDG goals by the target date, much is expected from the global partners to help countries emerge victorious over the social evils.

The National MDG Report points out that despite recent increase in aid, official development assistance would need to double, at least, for Ethiopia to reach the MDGs.

It is argued that at current pace, Africa will not reach the Millennium Goals unless the international community supports its development endeavors.  The Millennium Projects 2005 Report entitled “Investing in Development” underlines the possibility of achieving the goals if all countries fulfill their promises and redouble their efforts.   

 Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer in an interview he made with the “Time” magazine has said: “I think the world does not want to set off broken promises on the MDGS. If we can keep those promises it will show that globalization is not just a recipe for insecurity but something that makes possible social justice on a global scale”.

In the same vein, in a communiqué issued on September 25, 2005 at the end of the 72nd meeting of Joint Development Committee of the World Bank and the IMF, the financial institutions reiterated their support for the realization of the internationally agreed development goals, and urged for a “timely and ambitious outcome for the Doha Development Agenda” so that developing countries will achieve the economic growth needed.

Considering that five years have passed since the launching of the MDGs, the African Ministerial meeting held in Abuja, Nigeria, from 14-15 May 2005 recognized the urgency for the need for strong political will as well as bold and decisive action on the part of African countries that would establish the conditions for achieving sustained economic growth and eradicating poverty.

The Ministerial Statement stated that “Africa’s development is in the hands of Africans and we are committed to achieving the MDGs by 2015”, while recognizing that in the immediate term the progress towards the MDGs should be accelerated through a significant increase in resources from outside.

Speaking on the issue, former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela has said!“Massive poverty and obscene inequality are such terrible scourges of our times that they have to rank alongside slavery and apartheid as social evils.”

Unreserved commitment and strong political will at national level are the bedrocks to designing and implementing policies that lead towards achieving the goals set. In this regard, Ethiopia has successfully integrated the MDGs into its policies and this has helped the country see considerable changes.

‘’During the last three years, we have embarked on an aggressive program to accelerate progress as rapidly as possible including a big push on education to create a strong human capacity, expanding infrastructure, strengthening institutions and building new ones, and decentralizing governance, "says Meheretab Mulugeta.

The UNDP report indicates that ongoing policy reforms combined with demonstrated Ethiopian and international commitment can break the poverty trap. The importance of global partnership, along with the national determination to tackle the challenges of our times, thus remains crucial to achieving the goals targeted.

The government of Ethiopia continues to work hard to achieve the goals set in the Millennium Declaration. Under the framework of integrating the MDGs in the PRSP process, it strives to bring about sustainable growth and prosperity to the country and its people.