Monitoring on the State of Achievement of the MDGs ｜ Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan

In the “Road map towards the implementation of the United Nations Millennium Declaration” drawn up as a follow-up to the Millennium Summit, it is stipulated that the UNDP is to report on the state of progress toward the MDGs in cooperation with the World Bank and OECD. In response to this, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed Administrator of the UNDP and Chair of the UN Development Group Mark Malloch Brown as campaign manager and scorekeeper for the MDGs in the UN system in December 2001. The UN is monitoring state of progress toward achievement of the MDGs at the global level and at the level of each developing country in cooperation with the World Bank, IMF, OECD, etc.

At the global level, since 2002 the UN Secretary-General has been submitting the “annual report on progress achieved by the United Nations system and Member States towards implementing the Millennium Declaration” to the UN General Assembly every year and it is planned to draw up the “Comprehensive Report on Progress in Implementing the Millennium Declaration” once every five years beginning in 2005. Meanwhile, at the developing country level, the “Report on Millennium Development Goals” is being drawn up with support from the UN country teams coordinated by the UNDP. It is planned for these reports to be drawn up for all developing countries by the end of 2004. Reports had already been completed for 27 countries and two regions as of August 2003.

In order to deepen understanding of the MDGs, the “Millennium Campaign” has been promoted centered on the UNDP. Through the campaign, measures are taken to ensure that all the people in both developed and developing countries deepen their understanding of and support for the MDGs and various organizations and groups voluntarily offer their broad collaboration toward the achievement.

In addition, as a part of these efforts, the World Bank decided at the general meeting in April 2003 that it would regularly monitor the progress of policies and activities to achieve the MDGs by developing countries, developed countries and international organizations. The World Bank and the IMF drew up the Initial Report and at the World Bank-IMF General Meeting in September 2003 the World Bank gave a report on global monitoring. The final report is scheduled to be presented to the Joint Development Committee in April 2004.

In order to carry out this monitoring, it is essential that developing countries have sufficient capacity to compile statistics and have developed MDGs-related databases. Japan shares this idea with the World Bank and centered on support by Japan, the World Bank and the UN have been taking coordinated measures. Specifically, Japan has provided support of $2.1 million for the creation of a database by the World Bank in cooperation with the UN Millennium Project^*1, and for efforts to strengthen capacity building in developing countries. This is done through the Japan Policy and Human Resources Development (PHRD) Fund that Japan has in trust at the World Bank. The results of this process are to be reviewed at a meeting which is scheduled to be held in Tokyo in 2004.

Box 4. Views of the International Community Concerning the Likelihood of Achieving the MDGs
1. UN: “Implementation of the United Nations Millennium Declaration”—report of the Secretary-General (September 2003) Progress towards achieving the MDGs is at present very uneven, with wide variations across regions and countries, and it is evident that, following current trends, some parts of the world risk falling well short of achieving the Millennium Development Goals in 2015. However, if the international community strengthens its efforts, it remains possible to achieve the goals at the global level and at the country level for most countries. It also remains possible to achieve the reduction of the number of poor people by half. In some regions the goal of reducing hunger by half is difficult to be achieved, so new policies must be formulated. The goal concerning primary education is being achieved except for in sub-Saharan Africa. Progress toward the goal concerning gender is generally moving in the right direction. There is a cause for concern with respect to the goal of reducing child mortality rate and maternal mortality rate, and new policies are necessary. There is also cause for concern regarding the goal of preventing the spread of diseases such as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), but there is a hope that the goal can be achieved. The goal of ensuring environmental sustainability has seen both successes and failures, and caution is necessary. Achieving the MDGs depends on whether or not developed countries meet their obligations, including trade, debt relief, and assistance, with respect to the goal of “Building a global partnership for development.” Although some progress has been made with regard to debt relief, further efforts are necessary in the trade, financing and development assistance sectors. 2. UNDP: Human Development Report 2003 If the world as a whole develops at the same speed as in the 1990s, only two of the MDGs have a realistic prospect of being achieved: the goal of reducing the number of poor people and the goal concerning safe drinking water. Attaining these goals will be largely due to the outcomes of China and India. Looking at achievement of the goals by region, outstanding progress toward the other goals can also be seen in the East Asia and Pacific region. The Arab countries, Latin America, and the Caribbean region cannot easily achieve the goals by 2015 but it is possible. However in other regions, achievement of the MDGs is extremely difficult. For example, at the current status of progress in sub-Saharan Africa, it is expected to achieve the goal of reducing the number of poor people in 2147 and the goal of reducing the child mortality rate in 2165. 3. World Bank: World Development Report 2004 At the global level, there is a prospect of achieving the goal of reducing the proportion of poor people but achieving the goals concerning education, gender, and child mortality rate will be difficult. If the forecast per capita gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate is achieved, it is expected that the goal concerning the number of poor people can be achieved in all regions except Africa. However, it is difficult for any of the regions except East Asia, Europe, and Central Asia to achieve the goals, etc. concerning primary education and child mortality rate through economic growth alone. In the African region, even if an economic growth rate twice the current were achieved, it would not be possible to achieve the goals concerning health, medical care and education although it would be possible to achieve the goal concerning poverty.

Box 4. Views of the International Community Concerning the Likelihood of Achieving the MDGs

1. UN: “Implementation of the United Nations Millennium Declaration”—report of the Secretary-General (September 2003)
Progress towards achieving the MDGs is at present very uneven, with wide variations across regions and countries, and it is evident that, following current trends, some parts of the world risk falling well short of achieving the Millennium Development Goals in 2015. However, if the international community strengthens its efforts, it remains possible to achieve the goals at the global level and at the country level for most countries.

It also remains possible to achieve the reduction of the number of poor people by half. In some regions the goal of reducing hunger by half is difficult to be achieved, so new policies must be formulated. The goal concerning primary education is being achieved except for in sub-Saharan Africa. Progress toward the goal concerning gender is generally moving in the right direction. There is a cause for concern with respect to the goal of reducing child mortality rate and maternal mortality rate, and new policies are necessary. There is also cause for concern regarding the goal of preventing the spread of diseases such as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), but there is a hope that the goal can be achieved. The goal of ensuring environmental sustainability has seen both successes and failures, and caution is necessary.

Achieving the MDGs depends on whether or not developed countries meet their obligations, including trade, debt relief, and assistance, with respect to the goal of “Building a global partnership for development.” Although some progress has been made with regard to debt relief, further efforts are necessary in the trade, financing and development assistance sectors.

2. UNDP: Human Development Report 2003
If the world as a whole develops at the same speed as in the 1990s, only two of the MDGs have a realistic prospect of being achieved: the goal of reducing the number of poor people and the goal concerning safe drinking water. Attaining these goals will be largely due to the outcomes of China and India.

Looking at achievement of the goals by region, outstanding progress toward the other goals can also be seen in the East Asia and Pacific region. The Arab countries, Latin America, and the Caribbean region cannot easily achieve the goals by 2015 but it is possible. However in other regions, achievement of the MDGs is extremely difficult. For example, at the current status of progress in sub-Saharan Africa, it is expected to achieve the goal of reducing the number of poor people in 2147 and the goal of reducing the child mortality rate in 2165.

3. World Bank: World Development Report 2004
At the global level, there is a prospect of achieving the goal of reducing the proportion of poor people but achieving the goals concerning education, gender, and child mortality rate will be difficult. If the forecast per capita gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate is achieved, it is expected that the goal concerning the number of poor people can be achieved in all regions except Africa. However, it is difficult for any of the regions except East Asia, Europe, and Central Asia to achieve the goals, etc. concerning primary education and child mortality rate through economic growth alone. In the African region, even if an economic growth rate twice the current were achieved, it would not be possible to achieve the goals concerning health, medical care and education although it would be possible to achieve the goal concerning poverty.

*1: Millennium Project
This is a strategy to support achievement of the MDGs launched by a proposal from UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and UNDP Administrator Mark Malloch Brown. It has created ten task forces to conduct research into the 18 targets. It is directed by Professor Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University.

Chapter 2

Section 2

2. Monitoring on the State of Achievement of the MDGs