Increasing access to energy services in rural areas - REEEP ...

MODULE 10: INCREASING ACCESS TO ENERGY SERVICES IN RURAL AREAS
page 10.11
4. THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT
GOALS
The current situation, laid out above, calls for all possible actions to be taken to
improve energy access for rural populations, and none is more important than the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This is fast becoming common understanding
by many agencies concerned with the sector and the linking of MDGs to
energy services in rural areas is now being looked at carefully by many.
MDGs were first thought of and compiled during international conferences and
summits held in the 1990s, initially known as the International Development Goals.
Then in September 2000 the 189 member States of the United Nations unanimously
adopted the Millennium Declaration. 22
Following consultations among
international agencies, including the World Bank, IMF, OECD, and specialized
agencies of the UN, the General Assembly recognized MDGs as part of the road
map for implementing the Millennium Declaration.
MDGs cover eradicating extreme poverty and hunger; achieving universal primary
education; promoting gender equality and empowering women; reducing child
mortality; improving maternal health; combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases;
ensuring environmental sustainability; and developing a global partnership
for development. 23 In summary MDGs:
“commit the international community to an expanded vision of development,
one that vigorously promotes human development as the key to sustaining
social and economic progress in all countries, and recognizes the importance
of creating a global partnership for development. The goals have been commonly
accepted as a framework for measuring development progress.” 24
The detail of the MDGs is shown in annex 1; they have aspirational targets in 18
important areas with 48 indicators to monitor progress to 2015. Better access to
energy is not a specific goal within the MDGs but there are indicators that refer
to energy in the goal of ensuring environmental sustainability and energy is an
aspect that runs through many of the targets in the MDGs. Many development
agencies, for example DFID, have noted how energy can play a crucial role in
underpinning efforts to achieve the MDGs and improving the lives of the poor people
across the world. 25
22
see www.un.org/millennium
23
www.oecd.org/document/41/0,2340,en_2649_34585_1907625_1_1_1_1,00.html
24
www.developmentgoals.com/About_the_goals.htm
25
DFID – Energy for the Poor, Executive Summary