MDG Overview : Goal 8 – A Global Partnership for Development
March 15, 2013 in Beginner's Guide, International Development, MDG 8 (Global Partnership), MDGs, United Nations
Summary
The eighth Millennium Development Goal defines the way in which the first seven goals are achieved, and stipulates that there must exist a “global partnership for development” for the MDGs to succeed.
Goal 8 builds on the idea of global solidarity to ensure international responsibility for development and forms, according to Human Rights Quarterly, “arguably the most significant step since the Covenant on Economic Social Rights”. Essentially, it commits the global community to strengthen international cooperation in dealing with poverty-reduction, and defines benchmark targets and indicators of progress.
In practical terms, a large part of this mission attempts to move from international aid to agreement, so that instead of sending money and resources, the wealthier countries agree unilaterally to control the socio-economic constraints they collectively control or influence. As the Human Development Report stated in 2003: “Many global environmental problems: climate change, loss of species diversity, and depletion of global fisheries – can be solved only through partnerships between rich and poor countries.”
Goal 8 Targets
- Target 12: Develop further an open, rule-based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial system. Includes a commitment to good governance, development and poverty reduction – both nationally and internationally.
- Target 13: Address the special needs of the least developed countries. Includes: tariff and quota-free access for least developed countries’ exports; enhanced programme of debt relief for heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) and cancellation of official bilateral debt; and more generous ODA for countries committed to poverty reduction.
- Target 14: Address the special needs of landlocked developing countries and small island developing States (through the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States and the outcome of the twenty-second special session of the General Assembly).
- Target 15: Deal comprehensively with the debt problems of developing countries through national and international measures in order to make debt sustainable in the long term.
- Target 16: In cooperation with developing countries, develop and implement strategies for decent and productive work for youth.
- Target 17: In cooperation with pharmaceutical companies, provide access to affordable essential drugs in developing countries.
- Target 18: In cooperation with the private sector, make available the benefits of new technologies, especially information and communications.
Current State of Play – What has been achieved?
With such a general goal, it’s very easy to get cynical and bogged down in details of specific partnership failings, so let’s start with the general trend of extreme poverty which has been in decline (as shown below) since 1980. Whether or not this can be directly attributed to the partnership of nation states is unclear, however there is certainly a correlation between increased cooperation (along with the rise of partnership-organisations such as the UN) and a significant decline in poverty.
Decline in Extreme Global Poverty
This graph shows the proportion of world population in extreme poverty 1981–2008 according to the World Bank.
“We can report broad progress… Working together, governments, the United Nations family, the private sector and civil society can succeed in tackling the greatest challenges. As the 2015 deadline is fast approaching, we must be united and steadfast in our resolve to accelerate progress and achieve the MDGs.”
- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon states:
Specific Successes/Failures of MDG8:
- Official development assistance stands at 0.31 per cent of the combined national income of developed countries, still far short of the 0.7 per cent UN target.
- Aid to the African continent increased by 0.9 percent to 31.4 billion in 2011, but remains below expectations.
- Developing countries gain greater access to the markets of developed countries.
- In 2011, 75 percent of the worldwide mobile cellular subscriptions were in the developing regions, up from 59 percent in 2006.
- By the end of 2011, over 160 countries in the world had launched 3G mobile broadband services and 45 percent of the population worldwide was covered by a high-speed mobile broadband signal.
- The developing world share of the world’s Internet users rose to 63 percent in 2011, when 35 percent of the world was online.
- Almost two thirds of the world’s Internet users are in developing countries facilitating better connectivity and potentially better global cooperation.
- You can read more detailed 2012 research on Goal 8’s results here
—
Update 2012 – Unfortunately as the recession has hit developed countries the level of bilateral aid for development projects has fallen by 4.5% in real terms, this is the first time core aid has fallen in more than a decade.
—
Note: Please check back as this post will be continually updated as and when research becomes available.
__________________________________
* References
- http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/mdgoverview/mdg_goals/mdg8/
- http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=448&ArticleID=4895&l=en
- http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/MDG/english/The_MDG_Report_2012.pdf
This goal deals with an integral issue, which solution should involve concepts related to development from all its approaches; its accomplishment depends on many factors, like empowerment of the communities and implementation of entrepreneurship programs, along with financial assistance, in order to attack the issue from the root, rather than only diminishing its consequences. Furthermore, involvement from the civil society constitutes an essential factor in the quest for equality and social justice, along with the political will of government representatives of any kind and level; they should be encourage to build a reliable database using empirical evidence, that will allow those in charge of resources to properly allocate them. We strongly suggest the leaders throughout the world to become involved in the solution of this issue, taking into account that every person has dignity and is entitled to the right t food and development.
The following are actions taken around the globe, which can be more broadly utilized, to implement Goal 2 of the Millennium Development Goals; to ensure that by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling. Remove fees associated with attending school, including the cost of tuition, books, supplies, uniforms, and transportation. Provide amnesty for undocumented, migrant, and refugee children to attend school with out deportation or other consequences. Provide two meals a day to encourage families facing poverty to send their children to school. Address gender barriers, especially in rural areas. Provide feasible transportation to children, or adopt mobile schools.
It become evident in the group discusions that the 8 MDG is not recognised and the information around the issues that it affects is not well recognised. This goal deals with developing an open finance system and non discriminatory trading practices. After much delibaration some points were agreed upon as to how this MDG could be improved to suit a system based approach of how the MDG’s should be implemented. Overally the group felt the MDG was articulated on a top down approach and very much western centric.Thus not representing the real issues of all countries. Firstly the use of ‘partners’ in wording of the MDG should be replaced with ‘stakeholders’ as this word is more inclusive of all the actors in achieving this MDG. There was a consesus that debt problems is not only on developing countries thus it should change focus and include all countries and also include debt owing to international monetary organisations. Also that the issue of tarrifs should be reduced or removed as countries for example the UK places high tariifs on products from Africa of which the collect more money then the one the give aid to the African continent. Much needs to be done on this MDG in order to achieve its targets.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDG) are the world’s time bound and quantified targets for addressing extreme poverty, hunger, disease, lack of adequate shelter and exclusion while promoting gender equality, education and environmental sustainability. There are eight goals and this article focuses on MDG 6 which targets to combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases.
Bangladesh, being geographically positioned at the receiving end of perhaps the largest river system, and owing to other concomitant factors like the deltaic formation history and low-line coastal morphology has become the most disaster prone region on earth. Processes embedded in the nature, caused by multitudinous factors, constitute hazards to the environment of this region having severe aftermath on local lives, property and livelihoods of the population, and eventually, impeding the overall socio-economic development of Bangladesh. The (co)occurrence of these natural events are often coupled and multiplied with the high base vulnerabilities of the individuals, households and communities results in disasters that further drive the country towards greater environmental degradation, hunger, poverty, social deprivation and political conflicts, thereby impeding the development of Bangladesh. Therefore, over the last few decades, both national and international communities have been engaged in counteracting the negative developmental impacts of disasters as well as ensuring that development interventions do not exacerbate vulnerability to hazards.
It become evident in the group discusions that the 8 MDG is not recognised and the information around the issues that it affects is not well recognised. This goal deals with developing an open finance system and non discriminatory trading practices. After much delibaration some points were agreed upon as to how this MDG could be improved to suit a system based approach of how the MDG’s should be implemented. Overally the group felt the MDG was articulated on a top down approach and very much western centric.Thus not representing the real issues of all countries. Firstly the use of ‘partners’ in wording of the MDG should be replaced with ‘stakeholders’ as this word is more inclusive of all the actors in achieving this MDG. There was a consesus that debt problems is not only on developing countries thus it should change focus and include all countries and also include debt owing to international monetary organisations. Also that the issue of tarrifs should be reduced or removed as countries for example the UK places high tariifs on products from Africa of which the collect more money then the one the give aid to the African continent. Much needs to be done on this MDG in order to achive its targets.
