Annual Report 2011 | Delivering on commitments
The EU annual policy objectives for 2010 included a proposal for an EU action plan in the run up to the 2015 MDG Summit and work to ensure aid efficiency, accountability and consistent synergies between development policy and policies such as migration, security, climate action and energy, food security, access to health–care and education.
1 Policy development and priorities 1.1 Progress on the MDGs In 2000, leaders of 189 countries committed their nations to a new global partnership, focused on eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to reduce extreme poverty with a deadline of 2015 for achieving a series of targets : (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. Examples of EU contributions since 2005 to reaching the Millennium Development Goals : • Assisting 24 million people with social transfers related to food security (MDG1) • Enrolling nine million children in primary education (MDG2) • Connecting 31 million households to better drinking water (MDG7)
Five years from the 2015 deadline, 2010 was a key year for the MDGs. On 20–22 September, the UN High–Level Plenary Meeting on the MDGs assessed progress and called for redoubled political and financial commitments to faster progress on all MDGs.
The Commission also made a series of policy proposals on food security 5 , global health 6 and tax and development 7. It published other thematic papers on education 8 and on gender 9 which all fed into the Commission comprehensive approach to the MDGs (for more information and references, see 1.2). The Council Conclusions on 14 June 10 gave the EU an ambitious common position ahead of the UN MDG Summit. The EU position included actions to increase ownership by developing countries of the development process. It also highlighted aid efforts, improving the impact of policies, mobilising more and predictable financing for development, and using development resources more effectively.
Progress has varied signifi• Constructing or maintaining cantly between MDGs and 36 000 km of road (MDG8) between regions, countries and population groups. Progress has been good on reducing global poverty and on other goals such as universal primary education, gender equality in primary education and access to water. However, 1.4 billion people still live in extreme poverty and several MDGs are seriously off–track. This is particularly the case for improving maternal health where almost no progress was made, while prospects for access to sanitation are bleak. Sub–Saharan Africa in particular has fallen behind on all MDGs. In April 2010, the Commission issued a set of concrete proposals for EU action to help developing countries achieve the MDGs by 2015. The Communication “A 12–point EU action plan in support of the Millennium Development Goals” 4 proposed a 4
comprehensive approach that addresses the policy and financial dimensions. It sought to focus first on those countries most off–track and most in need, particularly those in situations of fragility. It was accompanied by five staff working papers which analysed progress on the MDGs, financing for development, aid effectiveness, aid for trade, and a 2010–2013 policy coherence work programme.
COM(2010)159 final, 21.4.2010
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The EU took an active part in the process right up to the outcome document adopted at the UN. It engaged in dialogue with key international partners, particularly the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries with whom a joint political declaration on the MDGs was adopted in June. This demonstrated the shared commitment to reach the MDGs and the convergence of views on ways to accelerate progress. The European Commission also announced, at the UN Summit a € 1 billion MDG Initiative to spur the policy dialogue on MDGs with ACP countries and to support those furthest off–track. 5 6 7 8 9 10
COM(2010)127 final, 31.3.2010 COM(2010)128 final, 31.3.2010 COM(2010)163 final, 21.4.2010 SEC(2010)121, 04.02.2010 SEC(2010)265 final, 8.3.2010 “Council Conclusions on the MDGs for the UN High-Level Plenary Meeting in New York and beyond - Supporting the achievement of the MDGs by 2015” 11080/10, 14 June 2010, and European Council Conclusions of 17 June 2010.