Training Report: Millennium Development Goals in the SAARC Region

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Introduction Introduction The world leaders joined together in September 2000 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, U.S.A. to adopt Millennium Declaration translated into the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs were set to be achieved by 2015, using 1990 as the reference year. These are time bound goals with quantifiable targets. These goals promote basic human rights and focus the world community's attention on achieving significant and measurable improvements in people's lives. The specific objectives of the MDGs are to: reduce extreme poverty and hunger; achieve universal primary education; promote gender equality and empower women; reduce child mortality; improve maternal health; combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; ensure environmental sustainability; and, promote global partnership for development. These goals are further split into 21 targets, measurable via 60 indicators. The first seven goals are mutually reinforcing and are related to reducing poverty in all its forms. The last goal - global partnerships for development - is about the means to achieve first seven goals in resources deficit countries. The world would need to make its contribution in realizing the commitment on the MDGs made by them. Without such a commitment, majority of the resources deficit countries, including South Asia may fail to improve their social indicators as per the MDGs' requirements. Achieving the MDGs requires integration of the MDGs into national and sub-national policy and legal framework as well as in budget priority. With only three years remaining, countries are beginning to take a serious look at their ability to meet the targets of the MDGs adopted in 2000. Further, they have also started critical evaluation of present progress towards attainment of the MDGs. Different policies and strategies in the SAARC region reflect the efforts of the member states in line with achievement of the MDGs. For example, the Government of Bangladesh has developed a policy document that outlines a number of policy measures for achieving the MDGs. Similarly, various education campaigns and initiatives in India contribute towards enhancing the educational standards in the country. Nepal has some success stories on Gender Equality and Pakistan contains some of the best models of Environmental Sustainability where most of its targets related to environment are "on track". Despite the progress made in different areas of the region and impressive gains by the SAARC Member States in achieving high economic growth and poverty reduction over the last two decades, 39 % of the world's poor live in the region and the region has the highest incidence of poverty (43 % of its population) . Further, in spite of substantial progress toward improving education and health indicators, the region is still seriously "off track" in some of the MDGs targets. Thus success in achieving the MDGs depends, to a large extent, on this region's performance in the next three years. There is no doubt that each SAARC Member State has formulated policies, strategies and programs in line with the MDGs but the region's performance is mixed in achieving different targets. There are several factors/constraints that affect tracking the MDGs in the region. SAARC Member States have adopted policy of human resource development as a priority area in line with the MDGs to improve standard of living of the people. The countries' development strategy envisages massive investment in strengthening its human resource base to produce a skilled and competent workforce that can respond to the increasing demands of a steadily growing economy, resulting economic growth and poverty reduction. However, experience of some of the South Asian countries suggests that implementation of the MDGs has been influenced by knowledge gap, low skills and low growth due to different external and internal shocks. Further, institutional capacities to develop marketable skills through education and vocational training are weak and exposure to new technologies is severely limited. The low levels of productivity and limited resources usually result in decline in public and private investment which inhibits the timely achievement of certain the MDGs. There are also cultural and socioeconomic barriers for the MDGs in the SAARC region that fully or partially affect the initiatives. One of the major constraints in the achievement of the MDGs in the region is unavailability of relevant data. Most of the cases are underreported and misclassified due to lack of research and information. The unavailability of authentic and reliable information impedes formulation and implementation of targeted policies and actions. It is, therefore, important that SAARC countries should make concerted efforts to design, coordinate and implement policies and programs to achieve the full range of the MDGs to overcome the problem/constraints. In the situation of present progress towards achieving the MDGs, and with the 2015 deadline approaching, 1
Introduction policy initiatives as usual are not enough to meet the MDGs. The SAARC Member States have to strengthen commitment to the MDGs through integration of the MDGs driven targets into their national and sub-national policies and legal frameworks as well as in budgetary priorities. They need to mainstream the MDGs within the policy-making body of the government and establish the MDGs legislative committee to promote structural response. Further, achieving progress towards the MDGs entails multi-pronged approaches including inclusive and sustainable growth, investment in anti-poverty programs, effective service delivery, adequate investment in education and health sectors, good governance, creating job opportunities, capacity building and fiscal stimulus for social expenditure. The SAARC Member States will also need to step up their efforts to replicate good practices and lessons learnt from early achievers in the region. Development partners of SAARC Member States are critical to the achievement of the MDGs and must fulfil the requirement to help mobilize the required resources. Prospects for the region to achieve most of the objectives are bright. Keeping in view these prospects, a training course is designed to assess the progress, prospects and way forward for SAARC Member States in achieving the MDGs and propose policies and programs to achieve these goals with the help of development partners. The one-week training course will develop participants' knowledge and skills to assess the progress, prospects and way forward through various in-house exercises and group discussions. The objectives of the training course were to: • assist senior policy makers, planners, and practitioners of the region to develop and implement the MDGs-based national development strategies through sharing of good practices and lessons learnt; • develop skills to help integration of the MDGs into national development plans and strategies; • assess progress on implementing the MDGs in the region; • discuss the constraints, challenges, prospects and way forward for achieving the MDGs in the region; • provide the participants with an opportunity to share experiences, best practices and propose policies and programs to achieve these goals with the help of development partners; • suggest different ways and means for reaching national and regional targets for meeting the MDGs; and, • assess the public sector resources and needs for developing a global partnership for achieving the targets as per commitment of 8th Goal of the MDGs. Methodology To achieve the training objectives, a number of methodologies including lectures and demonstrations, peer work and group work were used. Resource persons arranged activities according to the nature and requirement of their respective themes to make the topics comprehensive and interesting for the participants. Each presentation was followed by a question-and-answer session in which participants asked questions and gave their inputs in relation to the topic under discussion. The participants came up with specific suggestions and recommendations related to the training theme in the group works. Participants’ Profile Participants’ profile included: a) Mid-level policymakers/functionaries, master trainers/professionals from government and semi-government organizations working in the areas of the MDGs, social sector development, HRD, planning and development, policy analysis and advocacy, and governance; b) Researchers and scholars on the MDGs as well as those working on HRD; and, c) NGOs and private sector representatives. According to Asia-Pacific Regional Report 2009/10, UNDP, a 1 % point fall in per-capita GDP growth translates on average, depending on the country, into a 0.5-0.8%points decrease in growth of per capita private health spending, a 0.5-0.7% points decrease in the growth of per capita public health spending, and a 0.3-0.5 % points decrease in growth of per capita education spending. Melt-down in global economy in 2008 and sharp increase in Oil prices early in 2008. This is likely to produce a double dividend-not only boosting growth more rapidly but also accelerating progress toward the MDGs. 2
Page 1 and 2: Training Course on Millennium Devel
Page 3 and 4: Contents Contents Foreword Executiv
Page 5: Executive Summary Executive Summary
Page 9 and 10: Introductory Session Introductory S
Page 11 and 12: Working Sessions She opined that pr
Page 13 and 14: Working Sessions India’s trend of
Page 15 and 16: Working Sessions secondary educatio
Page 17 and 18: Working Sessions Dr. Aurang Zeb, Gr
Page 19 and 20: Working Sessions Dr. Baikunta Aryal
Page 21 and 22: Working Sessions Goal 2 ‘Achieve
Page 23 and 24: Working Sessions resulted in a sign
Page 25 and 26: Recommendations of Working Groups R
Page 27 and 28: Recommendations of Working Groups D
Page 29 and 30: List of Participants 6. Mr. Muhamma
Page 31 and 32: List of Participants 27. Mr. Muhamm
Page 33 and 34: Working Programme Day 3: Wednesday,
Page 35 and 36: Annex-III Power Point Presentations
Page 37 and 38: 31 Power Point Presentations
Page 43 and 44: Power Point Presentations PROGRAMME
Page 47 and 48: Power Point Presentations THREATS 4
Page 49 and 50: Power Point Presentations FOOD SECU
Page 57 and 58:
51 Power Point Presentations
Page 59 and 60:
Power Point Presentations EFA DEVEL
Page 61 and 62:
Power Point Presentations Millenniu
Page 63 and 64:
Power Point Presentations Did you k
Page 65 and 66:
Power Point Presentations Goal # 7
Page 67 and 68:
Country Reports Country Report Mald
Page 69 and 70:
Country Reports Government efforts:
Page 71 and 72:
Country Reports 65
Page 73 and 74:
Country Reports Poverty profile HCR
Page 75 and 76:
Country Reports Achievement: MGD Go
Page 77 and 78:
Country Reports Goal 7: Ensure Envi
Page 79:
Country Reports 73
show all

Training Report: Millennium Development Goals in the SAARC Region

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?