Millennium Development Goals: Western Europe
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) signifies the declaration of commitment from the international community to poverty eradication and universal development. MDG concrete targets were made in the United Nation Millennium Declaration in September 2000. The prime targets include reducing the world hunger and poverty by half, ensuring universal primary education, achieving two-thirds reduction in maternal mortality and deaths of children under five-years of age, and reducing the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water by halve (Chowdhury, & Iyanatul, 2011). Other goals included ensuring the achievement of environmental sustainability, empowering women, and promotion of gender equality, development of a worldwide collaboration in development, and fighting malaria, HIV/AIDS, and other killer diseases. The realization of these goals and objectives promises considerable environmental, social, and economic progress to the benefit of most disadvantaged areas in the world (Easterly, 2006).
The UN declaration called for the creation of an equal environment at both the global and national levels, and this was to be achieved through the creation of new partnerships between developed and developing countries. To this purpose, obligations for developed countries entailed lessening the debt burden to beneficiary countries, easing market access, providing development assistance, and channeling financial resources to help in the realization of targets. Whereas MDGs are aimed at the realization of the above-mentioned objectives, other factors such as universal security, good governance, and peace.
Western Europe
Many a country in Western Europe is perpetually a developed and high-income country with a highly specialized mixed economy coupled with a democratic political system. According to the UN Statistics Division, Western Europe is comprised of nine nations excluding those mentioned under the UN Regional Groups. These countries include Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, Netherlands, France, Monaco, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein (Western Europe, 2000). These countries made a commitment to orients their development policy to fit the millennium declaration, and in the event contributing towards the achievement of Millennium Development Goals. Continued participation in development in MDG forums has showed that the commitment of these countries is intricately connected towards the endeavor of enhancing the effectiveness of development cooperation.
In creating Millennium Development Goals for my country (Western Europe), an overarching task would be the creation of a development policy that ensures all development activities provide a direct or indirect contribution towards the realization of development targets mentioned in the Universal Declaration. Particular focus will be laid upon shaping the global structures in addition to cooperating with developing countries with transparent governing structures.
MDGs for Western Europe
Whereas the Millennium Development Goals appears to have been achieved in terms of minimum standards in Western Europe, significant efforts still need to be drawn to ensure that the objectives are fully realized. This revolves around adjusting the related targets to fit the true characteristics of the regions in question. Additionally, since most of the countries in Western Europe are highly developed, they need to make substantial progress in terms of realizing Millennium Development Goals. This calls for the implementation of significant policy challenges in these economies coupled with increased demand in policy analysis and monitoring.
Objectives
Develop a networked pool of skilled activists driven with the passion to achieve MDGs
Increase awareness among the youths and other active age groups towards the realization of MDGs
Lobby individual governments to act towards the realization of MDGs
MDG Targets and Goals for Western Europe
Goal 1. Total eradication of extreme hunger and poverty
This goal can be realized by reducing the number of individuals surviving on the poverty line by more than half. Depending on the economic ability and levels of expenditure in Western Europe, the poverty limit in this case should be raised to those individuals surviving on less than two dollars a day (Easterly, 2006). The deadline for achieving this target is 2015.
Goal 2. Attaining universal primary education
Making it certain that all children, irrespective of their gender affiliation, should be capable of completing the primary education full course
Goal 3. Empowering women and promotion of Gender equity
Goal 4. Reduction in child mortality
Through proper immunization, the rate of under-five mortality rate should have been reduced by more than two-thirds by 2015
Goal 5. Improvement of maternal health
Possibly eliminate or reduce maternal mortality ratio by more than three-quarters
Goal 6. Fight malaria, HIV/AIDS, and other diseases
For HIV/AIDS, massive campaigns should be undertaken to sensitize individuals to use contraceptives at all times to prevent the spread of HIV/Aids
Malaria be prevented by massive supply of treated nets
Appropriate preventive measures for other diseases such as Tuberculosis
Goal 7. Promotion of environmental sustainability
Constant integration of sustainable development principles with country programmes and policies
Reverse the erosion of environmental resources
Major areas to be covered include reviewing emissions of carbon dioxide, energy use, increasing protected area surfaces, and forest covered areas
Ensuring total accessibility of safe drinking water to all individuals
Goal 8. Development of global development partnership
Non-discriminatory trading
Easing trade access
Improving national and international financial systems
Aid in addressing specific needs of developing countries
Development and implementation of strategies that will govern productive and decent jobs for the youth
Cooperation with private sector individuals to enhance the benefits that can be achieved using emerging technologies
Coordination Failures, Complementarities, & Growth Diagnostic Framework Analysis for Western Europe
Given that MDGs are the most broadly supported, comprehensive, and specific goal-oriented targets ever established in the world, it is critical to note that less than 3 years are before the deadline for achieving these goals is reached. Sadly, the results of achieving MDGs in Western Europe are mixed. Whereas significant achievements have been recorded in some parts, little progress is evidenced in other regions. Silent cases of the spread of diseases and hunger continue to affect hundreds of individuals. Interestingly, there is myriad of practical solutions for alleviating such problems and as well, costs incurred are affordable (Chowdhury, & Iyanatul, 2011). Failure to achieve, MDG targets and goals can be attributed to the lack of focus, will, and concerted action to realize these objectives. While it is rather difficult to point a finger to the exact individuals or organizations that have failed to play their part, the blame largely lies on Western Europe at large.
On the other hand, the global financial crisis that hit the Eurozone can be largely to blame for it led to a triple crisis in Western Europe. This was characterized by lingering consequences of high energy and food prices, economic downturns, and unpredictable climatic conditions. Serious meetings need to be held to ascertain the reasons for failed realization of MDG goals. For instance, several developed countries in Western Europe have failed to open up their borders to trade rounds, a factor that was important for the realization of the global development partnership for Western Europe (Chowdhury, & Iyanatul, 2011). Other countries have been criticized for withdrawing access to financial funding and emerging technologies to developing countries based on political grounds. Inadequate national programs and policy commitment among several countries have also been identified as hindrances to the realization of MDGs.
However, the progress for achieving millennium development goals is not that hard but rather something doable. For instance, Western Europe has registered significant improvements, measured in terms of MDG goals and targets. Poverty reduction, gender equality, and eradication of diseases have been realized in major regions. Largely, goals such as international development partnership and coordination have been recorded in several regions. Western Europe needs to review its commitment, focus for millennium development goals, and as well, review its credibility in fulfilling promises and pledges. Increasing overseas development aid (ODA) and reduction of its GNI should feature majorly on their agendas (Chowdhury, & Iyanatul, 2011). Investing is undeveloped countries, particularly those in Africa, is also another major imperative for Western Europe. Strengthening the economies of developing countries will contribute majorly to the economic prosperity of Western Europe in the end. To this purpose, Western Europe needs to increase the levels of tangible offerings it is capable of offering to the developing countries. Finally yet important, increased scrutiny for important MDG policies aimed to developing countries should feature in the MDG agendas for Western Europe.
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