The Millennium Development Goals

Looking back on thirteen years of international development

Reigate School

Progress so far

A review of the Millennium Goals progress since 2000

GOAL 1ERADICATE EXTREME POVERTY AND HUNGER

Successes Limitations

44% of Ethiopians are undernourished, a decrease of 27% since 1991; in the same period, there has been a 22% decrease in Angola and Mozambique, and a 21% fall in Chad.

In the Dem. Rep. Congo in 1991, 29% were undernourished; the most recent statistics indicate that figure now stands at 75% of the population.

As of 2009, 60% of Mozambicans are unemployed.From 2002 to 2012, the proportion of people in sub-Saharan Africa living in poverty (less than $1/day) rose by 4.9%.The proportion of the world population without enough food has stayed at around 14% since 1995.

“Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime.” (Aristotle, Greek philosopher)

There has been some localized progress in this area however, this still needs to be a focus of the Post 2015 agenda .

GOAL 2ACHIEVE UNIVERSAL PRIMARY EDUCATION

Successes Limitations

National adult literacy rate in India has risen from 64.7% to 74.0% since 2001.

There are 20% more literate males in India than females.

The number of children in schools has risen from 52% to 60% between 2000 and 2005 in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Many African countries have traditions dictating that a woman’s purpose is to marry and have children, not to learn.There are still many places where school facilities are abysmal or non-existent.There is a lack of trained educators.

44% of parents in 7 African countries with free education have reported having to pay unrealistic amounts for their children to go to school.

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” (M. K. Gandhi, Indian activist)

There has been some clear progress in this area, but there is still much to be done to achieve this goal.

GOAL 3PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY AND EMPOWER

WOMEN

Successes Limitations

The proportion of female legislators in Rwanda has risen from 18% in 1994 to 56% as of 2013.

However, at the current rate, parity between males and females will not be achieved in government until 2068.Globally, only 16% of MPs are women.

Many Islamic countries hold very traditional views on the role and behaviour expected of women: Saudi Arabia hasn’t a single female in any political position.

“The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it.” (Roseanne Barr, American actress)

The evidence shows that whilst improvements in the empowerment of women have occurred sporadically across poorer areas such as Africa, there is still much progress to be made to improve

equality in both richer and poorer countries.

GOAL 4REDUCE CHILD MORTALITY RATES

Successes Limitations

Timor-Leste has had one of the biggest reductions in child mortality rates, at 33% since 1990.

Worldwide, the targeted 67% reduction will not be achieved at current rates.

Many deaths are caused by influenza and dengue fever, both of which have seen significant reductions in case numbers; poliomyelitis has been eradicated in some areas, such as in India.

Afghanistan’s child mortality rate has seen a reduction of just 5.5% - 14.4% of children die before they reach the age of 5.

Many deaths are caused by HIV, the number of cases of which have soared.

“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” (Native American proverb)

There has been lots of progress in this area, child mortality rates are still too high and the targeted reduction still needs to be achieve.

GOAL 5IMPROVE MATERNAL HEALTH

Successes LimitationsSince 1990, there has been a 47% drop in post-natal maternal deaths worldwide; there are several countries that are now on track to achieve the targeted 75% reduction in maternal deaths, for example Mozambique.

This is not close enough to the targeted 75% reduction; For MDG5 to be attained, there needs to be an average of 5.5% reduction per year; so far, there has only been an average of 3.1% per year.

From 1991 to 2006, women in Sub-Saharan African using contraception rose from 5% to 30%; currently, around 52% of fertile women in Namibia use contraception.

There is a severe lack of midwives in many African countries, especially in tribal areas, as many people distrust non-traditional healers; in South Africa, almost 1 in 30 pregnancies are terminated unsafely.

Better educational and employment prospects have lowered age at first birth in some areas.

Many deaths are caused by bad hygiene or internal bleeding; the latter can be prevented by an injection of oxygen immediately after the birth.

14.3% of babies worldwide are born to teenagers; 53% of Nigerienne women had given birth before the age of 18.

In 13 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, less than 6% of women use contraception; Namibia is the only African country with such a high rate.

“All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” (Abraham Lincoln, American president)

There have been some improvements in maternal care but work still needs to be done to achieve the 75% targeted reduction in post-natal deaths.

GOAL 6COMBAT HIV/AIDS, MALARIA AND OTHER DISEASES

Successes Limitations

56% of HIV/AIDS sufferers in Sub-Saharan Africa receive at least some basic form of treatment

From 1990 to 2008, the global number of HIV/AIDS sufferers rose from 7.3 million to 33.4 million, an increase of 358%; the average number of new cases per year rose by 42.1%

Since 2000, the number of malaria sufferers has decreased by a third; this is due to increased awareness and use of mosquito nets and insecticides

Malaria has been eradicated in only four countries in the same period (Armenia, Morocco, Turkmenistan and the United Arab Emirates)

Since 1990, the number of deaths due to tuberculosis has decreased by 41% worldwide, more than the predicted rate

“Love dies of illness and wounds; it dies of weariness, of witherings, of tarnishings.” (Anaïs Nin, American author)

Out of the three main diseases targeted by the MDG, malaria and tuberculosis are on track to be eradicated within the foreseeable future; Unfortunately the number of people with HIV/AIDS rises

every year.

GOAL 7ENSURE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

Successes Limitations

Nearly every country in the world has passed environmental protection laws

Often, these laws are disregarded in LDCs, especially by large TNCs

Today, 780 million people around the world do not have access to safe water – this is a reduction of 2 billion since 1990: the WHO says target 7C has been met

Corruption is rife; in Cambodia, for example, the government allows illegal logging to continue, in return for a part of the profit

The proportion of urban dwellers living in slums has decreased 10% since 1990

However, the current 1 billion in slums is scheduled to double by 2030 due to population increaseBetween 2000 and 2010, an average of 13 million hectares of land a year was deforested, mainly in South America

“Here is your country; cherish these natural wonders.” (Theodore Roosevelt, American president)

The path to environmental sustainability in LDCs is a long one, progress has been made but there is still a long way to go to eradicate corruption and eradicate environmental degradation.

GOAL 8DEVELOP A GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR

DEVELOPMENTSuccesses Limitations

Many countries receiving debt relief have flourished: Tanzania has used savings to eliminate education fees, and Burkina Faso to provide cheaper healthcare and clean water access

Nearly a quarter of all aid paid to African countries goes to pay off debts, depriving citizens of other vital services the money could have provided; there are few developing countries in which healthcare is free or even affordable

Improved healthcare has led to a reduction in cases of malaria, tuberculosis and other illnesses

Only 0.004% of Batswana have internet access

80% of Batswana now have a mobile telephone; the amount with televisions has risen by 158% since 1997

168 countries out of a total of 193, 85.7%, are classed as ‘developing’, yet these control only 26% of world trade

“The only way to have a friend is to be one.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist)

There has been very significant progress in the technological and medical aspects of MDG 8, but, until debt is wholly or partially written off, LEDCs cannot develop to their full potential.

Post 2015 Development Agenda

The next steps

Is this the right approach?We believe that the Millennium Development Goals are the building blocks to improve the standard of living for the worlds poorest countries.

We feel that there are links between all of these goals that can be used to interlink improvements: global partnership, education and legislation.

We therefore feel that the following targets should be taken through to the post 2015 Development Agenda:

1. Universal Education 4. Reducing mortality2. Achieving equality 5. Sustainable environment

3. Healthcare

Plus two new targets:

1. Trade 2. A safer world

Universal education (Goal 1): The next step

Legislation Awareness campaigns

Developing infrastructure

Improved status of teachers

Global Partnership

Laws can be passed making it a legal requirement for all children to go to school until the age of 11. Parents could be fined or face prison if their children do not attend regularly. These places should be free to the poorest of society.

Billboards and adverts to help raise awareness of education for men and women.

MDCs could provide investment into infrastructure including materials and expertise for schools as part of their aid budget commitments.

LDCs could improve the pay and working conditions of teachers stop them leaving to go to MDCs where pay is better.

In countries where there is conscription such as Greece they could add the option to help teach or build schools for LDCs instead. In countries where this isn't the case universities could encourage students to complete this as a gap year between college and university.

Achieving equality (Goal 2): The next steps

Though education

LDC governments introduce legislation that all children between the ages of 5 and 11 go to school regardless of gender. National campaigns promoting equality of women such a posters will help to educate men.

Global partnership:Investment in infrastructure

Through Global Partnerships with MDCs new school

buildings and could be built. For example those

countries with conscription could offer a year building

schools or teaching in an LDC instead.

Through Legislation

LDCs pass laws that promote equality between the two genders. These could include a Sex Discrimination Act 1975 like the one passed in the UK, land reform where women can legally own land and the ability to vote. In addition introduce a quota for women in parliaments.

Through changing culture we can promote the equality of women.

Healthcare (Goal 3): The next steps

Global partnership Education

Reproductive healthcare Legislation

Governments could run a scheme whereby health care professionals could be funded to take a sabbatical to train people in LDCs

MDCs help invest in and build facilities e.g. hospitals. This could be a focus of the money governments allocate per year for aid.

Countries with forced conscriptions could offer a programme where people could opt to work in healthcare in LDCs instead of joining the army.

Extending free contraception through NGOs could be used in unison with education to promote sexual health. This education should start a primary school level.

Encourage more LDCs to follow Kerala’s model of reform including only allowing pensions for parents of one or two children and encourage people to consider benefits of smaller families.

Reducing mortality (Goal 4): The next steps

• Using legislation to focus on having a small number of healthy children rather than many who cannot be provided for. This could include providing pensions for those with two or less children such as in Kerala.

• Information could be provided by MDCs to help support LDC hospitals and doctors.

• Teach adults to know what to do in a situation were there child is ill. They could also be taught in basic first aid to look after children if there is a problem.

• Use tax incentives to encourage TNCs to work with charities to reduce infant mortality such at SMA providing milk, sterilisation tablets for water and bottles and bottles to reduce the spread of HIV from mother to child. Global

Partnership: Working

with TNCs

Education

Changing Legislation

Medical Research

Sustainable environment (Goal 5): The next steps

Global Partnership

Education

Legislation: Environmental

laws in LDCs

Debt abolition:

Conservation Swaps

Following from the Kyoto Protocol further targets could be set by world leaders to encourage LDCs and MDCs reduce their carbon footprints.

Adults and children could be taught about environmental sustainability and global warming to help raise awareness.

Government's within trading blocs could agree to introduce strict emissions laws for factories to encourage TNCs to be more environmentally sustainable.

The extension of conservation swaps- where MDCs buy rainforests and other areas for conservation from LDCs in return for debt abolition. This would help them be sustainable and pay off debts.

TNCs could be given tax breaks in return for being more environmentally aware such as reducing carbon emission from factories.

And our thoughts…

Water Supplies

Natural Disasters

Global Partnership

Weapons Reduction

Trade A safer world

Increase UN powers to impose stricter sanctions on governments involved in civil war, to encourage talks between both sides.

MDCs working in partnership with LDCs to improve water quality and supply particularly in shanty/ favela areas and remote rural villages to reduce mortality rates.

MDCs working with LDCs to improve their preparations for natural disasters such as Tsunami warning systems to reduce lose of life and standard of living as the result of natural hazards.

Introduce legislature in MDCs that companies have to use a percentage of fair trade goods to promote their use.

Work in global partnership to encourage small scale loans between businesses in MDCs and LDCs to allow manufacturing to develop within the country rather than relying on TNCs.

Free trade

Types of trade

Fair trade

MDCs work with the World Trade Organisation to remove trading blocs and encourage fair trade so that LDCs get a better price for their crops.