to download PDF of full document - SPARC Nigeria
to download PDF of full document - SPARC Nigeria
to download PDF of full document - SPARC Nigeria
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
CHAPTER 9: GOAL 8—TOWARDS A GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR<br />
NIGERIA’S DEVELOPMENT<br />
Background<br />
MDG 8 is designed <strong>to</strong> respond <strong>to</strong> the need for the<br />
more advanced countries <strong>of</strong> the world <strong>to</strong> meet<br />
their commitments <strong>to</strong> assist less developed<br />
countries in the rapidly growing global village <strong>to</strong><br />
meet their development needs. There are a number<br />
<strong>of</strong> shortcomings about this Goal. First, although it<br />
focuses on the range <strong>of</strong> international policy issues<br />
such as trade, aid, and debt, that require<br />
commitments and, more importantly, fulfilments<br />
from the more developed countries <strong>to</strong>wards the<br />
creation <strong>of</strong> a level playing field that would help<br />
the less developed countries out <strong>of</strong> poverty, it is<br />
the only MDG goal that places no concrete<br />
quantitative benchmarks <strong>to</strong> be reached by 2015.<br />
Second, it is obvious that the overall success <strong>of</strong> all<br />
the MDGs depends heavily on the success <strong>of</strong> Goal<br />
8 and that, for the less developed country<br />
signa<strong>to</strong>ries <strong>to</strong> the Millennium Declaration <strong>to</strong> make<br />
significant progress <strong>to</strong>wards achieving Goals 1-7,<br />
the richer countries must change their domestic<br />
policies relating <strong>to</strong> foreign aid, debt relief, trade<br />
GOAL 8: Summary <strong>of</strong> Indica<strong>to</strong>rs & Targets<br />
Target 8.A: Develop further an open, rule-based,<br />
predictable, non-discrimina<strong>to</strong>ry trading and<br />
financial system<br />
Target 8.B: Address the special needs <strong>of</strong> least<br />
developed countries<br />
Target 8.C: Address the special needs <strong>of</strong><br />
landlocked developing countries and Small Island<br />
developing States<br />
Target 8.D: Deal comprehensively with the debt<br />
problems <strong>of</strong> developing countries<br />
Target 8.E: In cooperation with pharmaceutical<br />
companies, provide access <strong>to</strong> affordable<br />
essential drugs in developing countries<br />
Target 8.F: In cooperation with the private sec<strong>to</strong>r,<br />
make available benefits <strong>of</strong> new technologies,<br />
especially information and communications<br />
and technology transfers. Nonetheless, MDG 8 is<br />
the least specific <strong>of</strong> all the MDGs, and as a result,<br />
does not lend itself easily <strong>to</strong> operationalisation and<br />
measurability. What is worse, at present no<br />
mechanisms exist for holding the development<br />
partners <strong>of</strong> developing countries accountable,<br />
neither are there institutional arrangements that<br />
can be used by the citizens <strong>of</strong> the partnering<br />
countries (both developed and developing) and<br />
their representative bodies<strong>to</strong> moni<strong>to</strong>r and oversee<br />
the extent <strong>to</strong> which the commitments <strong>of</strong> both<br />
parties are being met.<br />
These shortcomings notwithstanding, Goal 8 is<br />
critical in the overall scheme <strong>of</strong> the MDGs as it is<br />
the only one that generally and specifically covers<br />
the external economic environment which is<br />
determined or influenced by international agencies<br />
such as the IMF, the World Bank, the WTO, the<br />
UN, and developed country groupings (such as the<br />
Group <strong>of</strong> Eight, the OECD and bilateral aid<br />
Page 46 <strong>of</strong> 150