Encouraging Signs

The second assessment of MDG Progress Report 2005 reveals that Nepal could attain most of the targets by 2015 if the situation does not deteriorate further

By A CORRESPONDENT

Published just a week before the Summit of the Heads of States and Governments begin in the United Nations in New York, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Progress Report 2005 reveals “a remarkable progress made by Nepal despite difficult circumstances.”

Of the seven goals and 18 targets, Nepal is ‘likely’ to achieve goals regarding halving extreme poverty (by 2015 from the base level of 1990); reduce child mortality by two-third; halt and reverse the incidence of tuberculosis; and halve the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water.

Likewise, Nepal can ‘potentially’ attain other goals such as halving the proportion of people who suffer from hunger; achieve gender equality in access for boys and girls to primary and secondary education by 2005 and to all levels of education no later than 2015; reduce maternal mortality ratio by three-quarters; halt and reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases; and reverse loss of environmental resources.

The country is ‘unlikely’ to achieve its targets of reaching Universal Primary Education (by ensuring that children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling); and halting and reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Speaking at the program, Dr. Shankar Sharma, vice chairman of the National Planning Commission (NPC) spelt out reasons for the remarkable progress. He said the decline in poverty; increase in health and educational facilities; increase in accessibility; increase in awareness; increase in level of women education; and greater involvement of private sector were responsible for the improvement in MDGs attainment initiative.

Dr. Sharma, however, added that conflict, inequalities in Human Development Index and income distribution; higher level of debt and requirement of foreign aid of US$ 7.6 billion in the next years as some of the major challenges in the attainment of MDGs.

“The intensifying security threat compounded by political uncertainty has seriously held up development activities. However, most of the targets show positive trends to meet the goals by 2015,” said UNDP Resident Representative a.i. Ghulam Isaczai. “It is extremely important to invest in equitable development and human security in a broader sense to promote peace and development for all Nepalese,” he added.

“ Nepal clearly has the will and commitment to attain the MDGs. But equally important is the support of the international community to help Nepal build capacities, improve governance and transform its social and economic structures as it strives to build a society that is free from discriminations and exclusionary practices,” added Isaczai.

Vice chairman of the Council of Ministers Kirti Nidhi Bista, after launching the report officially, also stated that the MDGs could not be achieved by the government alone. “It requires strong commitment of development partners, civil society organizations, the private sector and media. The government will give special emphasis to forging strong alliances and partnerships with all stakeholders,” Bista said.

The Progress Report 2005 is prepared by leading Nepalese experts in consultation with the government, the UN agencies, civil society groups and donor community with the financial support of UNDP. This is the second Progress Report on MDGs prepared by Nepal. The first one was published in 2002. “In fact, the report of 2005 has shown tremendous progress in many sectors compared to the report of 2002,” said Dr. Sharma.

However, in recent few years Nepal’s economy has grown by around 3 percent only even as its neighbors India and China have grown at 7/8 and 10 percent respectively. “Had there been no conflict, it would not have been difficult for Nepal to attain 6 percent growth. And the attainment of 6 percent growth would have been far more fruitful to the people and contributed a lot to reduction in poverty,” said Dr. Sharma.