Millennium Development Goals Are Not Attainable For Three Reasons
The Millennium Development Goals (MDG) report 2010 states that MDG are still within reach.
This still attainable statement is repeated several times.
It says funds and efforts need to be pushed to increase the pace of development.
The assessment of development provides different indication.
Let us have an impartial look.
We are on track for some goals, like progress in HIV control is good but some MDG are practically not attainable by 2015 deadline.
Why we are failing to achieve targets? Following are three reasons for it.
Long way ahead: It is long way ahead for MDG targets and less time for MDG deadline 2015.
Have a look at some targets.
It is target of MDG to achieve, full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people by 2015.
Estimated employment-to-population ratio for 2009 is 55 for developed countries and 62 for developing countries.
Surely unemployment is not going to end by 2015 no matter how hard we try.
The number of estimated undernourished people in 2007 was 830 million more than 805 million figure in 2002 and above it hunger may have spiked further in 2009 due to global food and financial crises.
There are no signs for global food security to be a reality soon.
The climate change will make this task even more challenging in future.
Next big challenge is biodiversity conservation, though many initiatives are taken in direction of sustainable development no efforts of much significance have been made to conserve biodiversity.
Similarly achieving gender parity will need much more time even if efforts are made in right direction.
Lack of resources: UN in overview of it report itself states unmet commitments and inadequate resources have created shortfall in many areas.
It is to be noted here that only five donor countries allocate 0.
7 percent of gross national income as per target towards aid, rest all developed countries have failed in their commitments.
It is unlikely that funds as per requirements will made unavailable.
Now let us assume flow of aid is increased in last phase, will this improve the situation? Yes it will but first it is very unlikely and secondly increase in aid in last phase will not guarantee achievement of targets.
Some targets will remain elusive but sufficient aid could provide resources and impetus to achieve targets related to primary education and healthcare.
Inept implementation: Lack of dedication and accountability can lead any amount to waste and any programmer to failure.
This is the case when it comes to implementation.
In many systems resources are not efficiently managed.
Corruption is rampant; many people involved are dedicated for self interests, thus misusing funds and energy.
Most people of world living even in capital cities of countries are unaware of millennium development goals.
Systems have failed even to create awareness; so fact that some targets now are not attainable is not a surprise.
Well it is not all about failure, commendable progress have been made in some areas.
I acknowledge achievements in some areas and congratulate.
This still attainable statement is repeated several times.
It says funds and efforts need to be pushed to increase the pace of development.
The assessment of development provides different indication.
Let us have an impartial look.
We are on track for some goals, like progress in HIV control is good but some MDG are practically not attainable by 2015 deadline.
Why we are failing to achieve targets? Following are three reasons for it.
Long way ahead: It is long way ahead for MDG targets and less time for MDG deadline 2015.
Have a look at some targets.
It is target of MDG to achieve, full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people by 2015.
Estimated employment-to-population ratio for 2009 is 55 for developed countries and 62 for developing countries.
Surely unemployment is not going to end by 2015 no matter how hard we try.
The number of estimated undernourished people in 2007 was 830 million more than 805 million figure in 2002 and above it hunger may have spiked further in 2009 due to global food and financial crises.
There are no signs for global food security to be a reality soon.
The climate change will make this task even more challenging in future.
Next big challenge is biodiversity conservation, though many initiatives are taken in direction of sustainable development no efforts of much significance have been made to conserve biodiversity.
Similarly achieving gender parity will need much more time even if efforts are made in right direction.
Lack of resources: UN in overview of it report itself states unmet commitments and inadequate resources have created shortfall in many areas.
It is to be noted here that only five donor countries allocate 0.
7 percent of gross national income as per target towards aid, rest all developed countries have failed in their commitments.
It is unlikely that funds as per requirements will made unavailable.
Now let us assume flow of aid is increased in last phase, will this improve the situation? Yes it will but first it is very unlikely and secondly increase in aid in last phase will not guarantee achievement of targets.
Some targets will remain elusive but sufficient aid could provide resources and impetus to achieve targets related to primary education and healthcare.
Inept implementation: Lack of dedication and accountability can lead any amount to waste and any programmer to failure.
This is the case when it comes to implementation.
In many systems resources are not efficiently managed.
Corruption is rampant; many people involved are dedicated for self interests, thus misusing funds and energy.
Most people of world living even in capital cities of countries are unaware of millennium development goals.
Systems have failed even to create awareness; so fact that some targets now are not attainable is not a surprise.
Well it is not all about failure, commendable progress have been made in some areas.
I acknowledge achievements in some areas and congratulate.
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