Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday assured the global community of doing everything necessary to achieve the universally agreed post-2015 Development Agenda as Bangladesh has been in the forefront of global efforts in laying down the political groundwork for intergovernmental negotiations. “Our national consultations also happily reflect the UN’s priorities. I assure you that our government will make all efforts in forging a consensus for our shared future, and also keep our commitments in providing tangible benefits through empowering our people,” she said.
Addressing a ‘Special Event to follow-up efforts made Towards Achieving the MDGs’ at the UN Headquarters aimed at sharing experiences on MDGs, and thoughts on post-2015 agenda, Hasina also reiterated her call for the development partners to keep their promises on the MDG support.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight international development goals that were officially established following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000, following the adoption of the United Nations Millennium Declaration. All 189 United Nations member states and at least 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve these goals by the year 2015.
The goals are: 1. Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, 2. Achieving universal primary education, 3. Promoting gender equality and empowering women, 4. Reducing child mortality rates, 5. Improving maternal health, 6. Combating HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases, 7. Ensuring environmental sustainability and 8. Developing a global partnership for development.
Noting that the MDG-8 (Developing a global partnership for development) does not reach the level of the promised resources, the Prime Minister requested the development partners to live up to their commitments when they support meeting MDG efforts.
Terming the MDG-7 (Ensuring environmental sustainability) a formidable challenge for Bangladesh, Hasina said a low-lying coastal state, fraught with natural disasters, her government has been implementing a 134-point Action Plan in line with its mitigation and adaptation policy. “The global community should positively respond to their promises to our causes.”
She also suggested viewing the ‘People’s Empowerment and Development’ model that she had proposed at the UNGA in 2011 when shaping the post-2015 development agenda.
Several national and sub-national consultations on Post-2015 Agenda with a focus on ‘People, Planet and Economy’ led to 11 global goals with 58 targets and 241 measurable indicators for the period proposed from 2016 to 2030.
During the global recession, Hasina said her government’s policies, since forming government, enabled Bangladesh to sustain an average GDP growth rate of 6.4 percent, reduction of poverty from 56.6 percent in 1991 to below 26 percent now and, with self-sufficiency in food, MDG-1 was achieved.
She said a good progress has also been made in the MDG-2 (Achieving universal primary education) covering equitable access to education with a Net Enrollment Rate of 99.47 percent. Free distribution of textbooks among students up to the secondary level, school feeding program, and e-learning helped in reducing dropouts.
The premier said the MDG-3 (Promoting gender equality and empowering women) on gender equality in primary and secondary education was achieved in 2009 while the gender sensitive education policy of stipends and exemption of tuition fees for girls up to college level was of great help.
The recently introduced Prime Minister’s Education Assistance Trust Fund for underprivileged students, especially girls, is also supporting the cause. The National Policy for Women’s Advancement 2011 has led to greater involvement of women in the national development, and in their participation in all walks of life, she noted. On the MDG-4 (Reducing child mortality rates) Hasina mentioned that Bangladesh achieved under-5 mortality rate of 36 per 1,000 live births in 2012, against targeted 48 by 2015.
-With The Independent input
