About the Millennium Development Goals

At the United Nations Summit in 2000, heads of state representing 189 countries signed the Millennium declaration. Thereby, they committed themselves to a set of eight time-bound targets that, when achieved, will end extreme poverty worldwide by 2015. The first seven Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) commit the world leaders to raise the poor out of poverty and hunger, get every child into school, empower women, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases, and ensure environmental sustainability. Goal 8 explicitly recognizes that eradicating poverty worldwide can be achieved only through a global partnership for development. As the global development network of the UN, the UNDP links and coordinates global and national efforts to reach the Millennium goals. UNDP Helen Clark, in her capacity as chair of the UN Development Group, is committed to make the MDGs an integral part of the UN’s work worldwide.

In Tajikistan, the current status for each MDG, according to official Government reporting, is the following:

(See also http://www.mdgmonitor.org/country_progress.cfm?c=TJK&cd=762)
 

HOW IS UNDP HELPING ACHIEVE THE MDGs?
UNDP is actively supporting the country achieve the MDGs and it is doing so in three main ways:

- By aligning all UNDP activities with the Millennium Development Goals and ensuring that every project and programme is designed to meet the challenges of MDG-related issues at the country level.
- By cooperating with other UN agencies and the international community, UNDP helps the government harness foreign assistance in a more rational way in order to achieve the goals.
- And by coordinating tracking and reporting efforts.

About the MDG process in Tajikistan
Tajikistan was chosen as one of a handful of pilot countries for the MDGs in the world, and the only one in the former Soviet Union. Together with the government, UNDP in May 2005 presented one of the first MDG Needs Assessments in the world. The Needs Assessment specifies in details the reforms and investments necessary for Tajikistan to reach the MDGs on time by 2015. Tajikstan like many other countries, commited to prepare Country Report on MDGs by September 2010. For this purpose, UNDP being an active member of UN Country Team is going to support the Government of Tajikistan in preparation of this Report though proviing experts on Environment and facilitate inter-agency workshops. Final version of Report will be published in August 2010.
To follow up on the Needs assessment, UNDP has focused on supporting the government in its work to develop a long-term National Development Strategy (NDS). The ten-year NDS is aimed at reaching the MDGs trough sustainable growth and greater financing of basic social infrastructure. The NDS is based on the findings of the Needs Assessment and recommended pro-poor policy reforms. Input to the strategy is also provided by the thematic working groups that the Government of Tajikistan organises, with support from UNDP. The working groups of the NDS have brought together experts on topics such as gender, water health, education and food security. In 2007, the NDS was finally approved by the Government of Tajikistan.
With a shorter, 3-year time horizon, Tajikistan has also developed a Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, PRSP, for 2007-2009, which was also approved in 2007. UNDP has been instrumental in ensuring the alignment of the NDS and the PRSP with each other, and with the MDG. The new PRS for the period of 2010-2012 has been drafted and is under approval of the Government of Tajikistan. It is aniticapated to publish the final version of new PRS in May 2010.