the millennium development goals – a decade of achievements and challenges at the regional level...
TRANSCRIPT
The Millennium Development Goals – A Decade of Achievements
and Challenges at the Regional Level
Bader Omar AlDafaUnder-Secretary-General, Executive Secretary UNESCWA
Global context• Compound crises lead to
significant setbacks on overall economic performance
Regional characteristics• disparate levels of
development comparing high-income GCC countries and LDCs
• political tensions and smoldering conflict
• high proportion of youth
Slide 2
The Arab Region has undertaken significant efforts towards achieving the MDGs, but progress is uneven.
Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger (MDG 1)
Slide 3
Achieve universal primary education (MDG 2)
Slide 4
Enrolment ratio in primary education (latest available data, percentage)
Promote gender equality and empower women (MDG 3)
Slide 5
Seats held by women in national parliaments (latest data, percentage)
Reduce child mortality (MDG 4)
Slide 6
Improving maternal health (MDG 5)
Combat HIV/Aids, Malaria and other diseases (MDG 6)
Slide 8
In the 1990s the tuberculosis incidence in Arab LDCs was about nine times higher than in other subregions.
Despite an overall decline, this gap widened to a 13 times higher tuberculosis incidence rate in the late 2000s.
Ensure environmental sustainability (MDG 7)
Slide 9
Global partnership for development (MDG 8)
Slide 10
The way forward….
… renewed commitment to the attainment of the MDGs by 2015 and delivering better results of global,
regional and national partnerships for development
• Consideration of the MDGs as a holistic framework instead of treating each development goal independently: Its elements are linked in a systemic manner and therefore integrative policy response should be designed
• Pursuing equity-focused approaches more strongly (i.e. equal access and chances, concern for most vulnerable groups) will accelerate progress towards the attainment of the MDGs and be more cost-effective
• Accelerating of development and implementation of legislation on equal rights and equal opportunities in all areas (i.e. economic participation, social protection)
• Mainstreaming the MDGs into national policies (i.e. national poverty reduction strategies)
• Dedication of resources (i.e. honoring the agreed ODA commitments)
Data source:ESCWA (2010): Charting the progress of the MDGs in the Arab Region - A Statistical Portrait
Thank you!