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 97 in the 2007-2008 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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