The Hindu Business Line : UN project hampered by lack of `political energy'

AT the global level, the response to the UN's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Campaign has been mixed, with some countries performing better than others on the implementation of the goals, said Mr Salil Shetty, Director of the Millennium Development Goals Campaign.

Brazil, for instance, is doing well on the implementation of the MDGs, while India's progress has been more of a mixed bag, he added.

The lack of "political energy," rather than financial or technological constraints, has proved to be the main stumbling block, he told Business Line. In fact, the objective of the Millennium Development Goals Campaign, which is an independent body within the UN system, is to create the "political will" required to achieve the MDGs, he explained.

And in an effort to generate this `political energy', the Millennium Development Goals Campaign is working on an initiative to popularise the campaign, he said. While the details of this initiative will vary from country to country, the endeavour is to get people involved in the efforts to make governments live up to their commitments to achieving the MDGs, he explained.

Citizens' action is what is required to make the campaign to achieve the MDGs meaningful, said Mr Shetty. India is a very good example in this regard, as a lot of good things that have happened in the country are the outcome of people's action, he added.

The MDGs are a set of global commitments that have been derived from the UN's Millennium Declaration made in 2000. The eight MDGs include the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger; achievement of universal primary education; empowerment of women and promotion of gender equality; reduction in child mortality; improved maternal health; steps to combat diseases such as HIV/AIDS; environmental sustainability and creation of a global partnership for development.