The
Millennium Development Goals are a set of eight vital and achievable
time-bound commitments agreed by 191 heads
of state at the UN Millennium Summit in
2000. At current rates of progress, most
of the goals, including universal primary
education, will be missed. The first target
to fall due is gender parity in education
by 2005, but on current trends, this won’t
be achieved even by 2015.
|
Eradicate
extreme poverty and hunger by 2015 |
|
Ensure
that all boys and girls complete
a full course of primary school
by 2015 |
|
Eliminate
gender disparities in primary education
by 2005, and at all levels by 2015 |
|
Reduce
child mortality |
|
Improve
maternal health |
|
Halt
and begin to reverse the spread
of HIV/AIDS and other major diseases |
|
Ensure
environmental sustainability. Reduce
by half the proportion of people
without access to safe drinking
water |
|
Develop
a global partnership for development
between rich and poor countries |
Goal
8 has a special importance as it addresses
the aid and debt relief that poor countries
need to implement the other 7 goals. However,
rich countries continue to undermine potential
global partnerships such as the Education
for All Fast Track Initiative by failing
to provide the required funding and by
deliberately excluding developing countries
from participating in key decisions. |
