Millennium Development Goals - UNDP - Guyana
In 2000, at the United Nations Millennium Summit, 189 world leaders adopted the Millennium Declaration and agreed to collective commitments to overcome poverty through a set of eight mutually reinforcing interrelated time-bound goals (MDGs) with related targets.
The MDGs synthesize the goals of 1990s global UN conferences and provide an accountability framework and global partnership for progressively eradicating poverty in all its dimensions. The MDGs are at the forefront of the global development agenda and represent the international community’s commitment to eradicate poverty by 2015.
The eight goals are:
- MDG 1 Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
- MDG 2 Achieve universal primary education
- MDG 3 Promote gender equality and empower women
- MDG 4 Reduce child mortality
- MDG 5 Improve maternal health
- MDG 6 Combat HIV-AIDS, malaria and other diseases
- MDG 7 Ensure environmental sustainability
- MDG 8 Develop a global partnership for development
In September 2005, the UN World Summit resoundingly endorsed the MDGs. In the outcome document of the Summit, it was agreed that by 2006, all developing countries will prepare bold national strategies to achieve the MDGs, and that developed countries would increase their assistance to developing countries, particularly through higher levels of ODA.
Guyana: Achieving the MDGs
Guyana is one of the poorest countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (ranked 107 in the 2005 Human Development Report) and is one of the forty-one countries worldwide that has been classified as a ‘highly indebted poor country’ (HIPC). As a part of the preconditions for the Enhanced HIPC initiative the country was required to prepare a Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). The Poverty Reduction Strategy rests on seven pillars:
- Broad-based, job-generating economic growth
- Environmental protection
- Stronger institutions and better governance
- Investment in human capital, with emphasis on basic education and primary health
- Investment in physical capital, with emphasis on better and broader provision of safe water and sanitation
- Improved safety nets
- Special intervention programs to address regional pockets of poverty.
Some of the PRSP main social indicator are also indicators for the MDGs, however not all of them are tracked through the PRSP.
Government of Guyana confirmed its commitment to achieve the Millennium Development Goals along with other member states during the 2005 World Summit. As part of this commitment the Government of Guyana is currently preparing Guyana’s second MDG report. In the report progress will be measured, where data is available, ongoing initiatives toward each goal identified, as well as major issues and challenges and the way forward. UNDP Guyana will be providing technical assistance for the completion of the report.
UNDP assistance towards the MDGs
The UNDP Country Office in Guyana is supporting the Government of Guyana by building capacity to monitor progress of its development strategy. This includes supporting the Bureau of Statistics and statistical units at the line ministries by strengthening capacity to collect, analyze and disseminate key economic and social data and building capacity in monitoring and evaluation at the Office of the President. This support is expected to enhance the quality and focus of the PRSP and the progress reports, including MDG reports.
UNDP Guyana is also cementing a Partnership with the Private Sector. A National Working Group (NWG) on the Private Sector and the MDGs was established in 2005. The NWG is looking at how the private sector can play a key partnership role for the achievement of the MDGs. The work undertaken by the NWG will take place within the wider approach and plans of the government of Guyana to achieve the MDGs.
For poverty related projects see the poverty page.
The Role of Civil Society in Achieving the Millennium Development Goals - Workshop
On the 4th of October 2007, the Office of the President, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and United Nations Development Programme hosted a workshop in Georgetown on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The title of this workshop was: The role of civil society in achieving the Millennium Development Goals and the objective was to inform civil society organizations, the media and non-governmental organizations about the Millennium Development Goals. In particular, the workshop focused on how far we have gone to achieve the MDGs in Guyana.
Guyana has maintained steady progress towards the Millennium Development Goals over the years. Guyana has advanced in its efforts to reduce hunger, increase access to social services and benefits, improve enrolment in and completion of primary education, increase empowerment of women and achieve environmental sustainability. However, the pace of progress may be insufficient to achieve some of the targets for 2015.
The challenges facing Guyana in its quest to achieve the MDGs are significant. The prospects of achieving all the Millennium Development targets will be vastly improved with the resumption of sustained economic growth and its effects on household income, revenue generation and public expenditure outlays. Improved data systems will also improve the capacity to measure progress in future years. The broader political and civil climate will remain critical in creating a conducive environment to encourage greater capital investment in the country and slow down the outward migration of critical professional and technical skills.
The workshop on October 4, was an effort to strengthen all levels of Guyanese society to contribute to the discussion and advocacy for poverty reduction and economic development in Guyana. Furthermore, the initiative sought to engage the participants in advocating further for the MDGs within their own organizations and communities.
142 registered participants from 68 different organizations attended the workshop and listened to thirteen presenters. Afterwards, the attendees participated in group work on what they could do to raise awareness in their respective communities. The workshop concluded with presentations from the groups on their commitments to various activities over the next few months, such as providing hot meals to less fortunate children on the International day against poverty (17 October) and using it to raise awareness about the MDGs in general. Other examples are sessions on the MDGs in various fora such as at workshops and community meetings, art and jingle competitions and production of an MDG awareness video.
MDG Reports
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