What conclusions can be drawn from the UN’s 2010 report on the Millennium Development Goals?
The UN’s Millennium Goals ought to be reached by 2015. However, the 2010 UN report draws a much darker picture of their current achievement status. According to the report, the most encouraging results have been made in fighting poverty and providing education and water. However, little progress has been made in fighting famine or ensuring gender equality and women empowerment. “Le Monde” states that only Objective 1 of the MDGs, which seeks to half the proportion of people living with less than a dollar a day between 1990 and 2015, will be completed. Nevertheless, this progress is not geographically equal: Asia appears to have reached the target, but Sub-Saharan Africa is far from this same success.
Cependant, certains pays d’Afrique paraissent mieux s’en sortir que d’autres. Adama Mbodj du quotidien Le Soleil prend l’exemple du Sénégal et montre des résultats significatifs en matière de réduction de la pauvreté, même s’ils demeurent insuffisants pour atteindre les OMD d’ici 2015. Le journaliste met en avant la corrélation entre la croissance économique et le niveau de pauvreté. En effet, l’article du New York Times révèle un rapport du McKinsey Global Institute précisant que l’augmentation raisonnable des prix, la stabilité politique, la réduction des conflits, l’amélioration des performances macro économique et les réformes économiques sont favorables à l’expansion économique des pays africains, qui permet de réduire la pauvreté des populations.
The lack of results in Africa should not be generalized to all African countries. Adama Mbodj, of the daily Senegalese newspaper “Le Soleil,” considers his country to be a significant example of poverty reduction, even if the decrease in poverty is not strong enough to fulfill Objective 1 by 2015.
A strong link between growth and poverty reduction must also be considered. The selected New York Times article unveils the main conclusions of a MacKinsey Global Institute report. The report claims that strong macroeconomic monitoring and political stability are conditions needed to enhance growth performances, and in turn will lead to poverty reduction. However, the financing of the Millennium Development Goals is scarce because developed countries have not fulfilled their funding commitments. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has called for international partners to meet their financial responsibilities in terms of international aid.
More than 100 Heads of State are expected to attend the “Summit for Poverty Reduction” from September 20-22, 2010 in order to accelerate the completion of the Millennium Development Goals.
The four selected articles are:
- « L'extrême pauvreté a fortement reculé dans le monde », by Brigitte Perucca, Le Monde, June 23rd 2010.
- « Rapport des Nations Unies sur les OMD: Le niveau de pauvreté a baissé de 18 % en 13 ans au Sénégal », by Adama Mbodj, Quotidien Le Soleil, June 23rd 2010
- « ONU- OMD : L'amélioration de la vie des pauvres est intolérablement lente, selon Ban Ki Moon», by El Hadji Alassane Diallo, La dépêche Diplomatique, June 24th 2010
- « Report Optimistic on Africa Economies », by Celia W. Dugger, New York Times, June 23rd 2010
