Post 2015: Global Action for an Inclusive and Sustainable Future

CHApTER TWO
Peru, like other
MICs, still faces
important
development
challenges. So
while Peru ‘may
not be poor on
average it is still
far from being
developed’.
32
Yet although the mDGs have been underlying the
government strategies and technocratic policies,
the politico-military crisis and reconstruction have
dominated public spending.
• Peru
as the case study report highlights: ‘Peru exemplifies
very well the new developing world, one which is
changing fast, growing economically even in the
midst of the global crisis while very rapidly reducing
poverty and overcoming many of the challenges
highlighted in the MDGs’. but the report goes on
to emphasise that peru, like other mIcs, still faces
important development challenges. Some of these
are persistent structural problems. So while peru
‘may not be poor on average it is still far from being
developed’.
In 1990 peru was classified as a lIc, exhibiting
high levels of poverty and inequality. after a
period of turmoil and internal armed conflict
that lasted from the late 1980s to the early 1990s,
order was restored. this provided the basis from
1994, and particularly since 2001 after the asian
financial crisis, for peru to achieve sustained
growth led by a mining boom, in turn fuelled by
china’s spectacular growth, and framed by strong
Box 2.4 Peru’s MDG achievements
Peru has made considerable progress in
MDG-related areas. For example, from 2001,
the Peruvian economy began to grow, which
permitted a sharp and sustained drop in poverty
rates to almost half of 2001 national levels by
2011. Peru outperformed the MDG targets
on reducing hunger, on universal primary
education, on gender equality, on child mortality
and on HIV and AIDS. It was slightly behind the
required performance on maternal health and on
safe drinking water.
EuropEan rEport on DEvElopmEnt 2013
continuity in macroeconomic policy. While poverty
has decreased significantly over this period, despite
some improvements, major structural inequalities
persist with the poor particularly concentrated in
rural areas and among indigenous populations.
the case study argues that the mDG framework
was not particularly important as a source of
inspiration, guidance or reference in building a
national development consensus or for mobilising
internal or external support. If anything, peru
recognised its existing objectives in some of the
mDGs. For instance, economic reforms began in
1990, well before the mDGs were agreed. over
the past decade, each successive government has
formulated its own goals and objectives. the mDGs
have had at most only a minor influence on those
plans and do not feature in public policy or debate.
likewise, none of the major social policies, povertyreduction
measures or pro-equality initiatives has
been inspired by or even refers to the mDGs. not
surprisingly, a junior government office was given
responsibility for monitoring and coordinating
peru’s mDG progress. there are several reasons
for this. many of the country’s social-protection
objectives and measures precede the millennium
Chronic child malnourishment dropped from
around 40% in 1990 to 25.4% in 2000 to around
18-20% in 2010. Levels of malnourishment are
twice as high in rural areas (currently 37%), but
urban and rural areas have experienced similar
rates of reduction. A further indication of serious
and persistent inequalities is the incidence of
income poverty, which is twice as high among
the indigenous as among the non-indigenous
population (45.7% and 24.1% respectively). (Peru
case study)