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Millennium Development Goals

Spring 11 Child RightsFrom Jan Vandemoortele

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MDGs1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

2. Achieve universal primary education

3. Promote gender equality and empower women

4. Reduce child mortality

5. Improve maternal health

6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

7. Ensure environmental sustainability

8. Develop a global partnership for development

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Changing development climate• Changes in development assistance and financing• MDGs: Unifying agenda• Monterrey Consensus: Aid linked to strong governance • PRSPs: Gained prominence• SWAps: Direct budget support, coordinated action

• BUT

• MDGs: Little progress on children’s rights and gender equality

• PRSP, SWAPs: Lacklustre results for women, children, marginalized and poorest groups

• Fragile states not benefiting

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economic growth - 1961 education – 1959/61 smallpox - 1966 water & immunisation - 1980

MDGs: really new ?

Easily set, seldom met ?

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Target setting: dangers

bias national priorities

neglect non-measurable results

inflate reported progress

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Three key questions

• Is MDG progress on track?

• Is ‘average’ progress reaching the poor?

• Are MDGs affordable?

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25%27%

31%32%

1990 1993 1996 1999 2015

Actual progress Required progress

Poverty headcount in developing countries

(below $1/day)

16%

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0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

1990 1993 1996 1999

Most regions fail to reduce poverty(below $1/day)

SSASA

EA

LAC

MENA

9

83

10591

132

166

223

8378705948

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2005

U5MR and NER(developing countries)

U5MR

NER

2015

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Progress by-passes the poor

(children not completing 5yrs of education)

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Bangladesh(93/94)

Bangladesh(96/97)

Peru (91/92)

Peru (96)

Lowest 40% Middle 40% Top 20%

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Safe water

Maternal mortality

Child malnutrition

Gender equality

Basic education

Child mortality

HIV/AIDS

Poverty

Achieved To be achieved

No reliable and comparable data

1990 2000 2015

MDG progress in 1990s40%

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Story of 1990s

progress slowed down progress by-passed poor

It can be done

committed leadership

genuine participation

extra money strong partnership

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Averages are deceiving

Different ways to meet a target• by improving situation of better-off• by increasing level for worse-off• any combination in-between

Evidence suggests most countries follow top-down approach

Groups that see fastest progress seldom represent the poor

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Global cost estimates range from $50b-$100b+ per year

Differences depend on:absolute vs. relative unit costsmarginal vs. average unit costs regional vs. national average costsefficiency gains vs. quality costssavings from synergies implications of HIV/AIDSdomestic vs. external resources

Globally, MDGs are affordable

Are MDGs affordable?

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Pro-poor policies Avoid ‘small government’

ideology.

Shun tight inflation targets.

Deregulate financial markets with great care.

Liberalise trade cautiously.

Address equity & narrow gaps.

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Growth has an obvious place.

But evidence shows that high inequality inhibits growth.

Equity is good for the poor because it is good for growth.

Yet, most PRSs overlook equity.

Is equity good for the poor?

The goal

• Equitable and Sustainable human well-being beyond the narrow domain of economic growth

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