UN MDG report highlights need for rejuvenation of global partnership for development

Several deficits in development cooperation have continuously highlighted the need for a rejuvenation of the global partnership for development, said a UN report released on Friday.

The 2015 MDG Gap Task Force Report, "Taking Stock of the Global Partnership for Development," monitors progress in achieving Millennium Development Goal (MDG) number 8, the Global Partnership for Development. The 2015 report is the final one as the world moves towards sustainable development goals (SDG) to be adopted at a summit next week.

"This year's report has special significance as Member States move towards adoption and implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the launch of the report on Friday.

"The transition from the MDGs to the SDGs presents an opportunity to unlock resources for investments in education, health, equitable growth and sustainable production and consumption," said Ban.

"This report [assesses] achievements and shortcomings across five areas: first, official development assistance; second, market access and trade; third, debt sustainability; fourth, access to essential medicines; and fifth, access to new technologies," said Ban.

Despite gains towards a number of targets, major gaps remain in reducing vulnerabilities for developing countries, including least developed countries, land-locked developing countries and small-island developing States, said the report.

The report found out that official development assistance (ODA) increased substantially over the MDG period.

Additionally, global trade of goods and services expanded significantly over the last fifteen years to more than 20 trillion U.S. dollars, with improved levels of participation by developing countries, it said.

However, a key challenge of MDG 8 has been the failure of the international community to conclude the Doha Development Round after 13 years of negotiation, it said.

"This failure has had ramifications for the potential of trade as an enabler of economic growth and development," it said.

In terms of access to medicine, the report said that "in general, access remains insufficient and, in particular, that generic medicines are significantly less available in public health facilities than in private health facilities."

Finally, the report noted that access to new technologies, in particular information and communication technologies has grown tremendously since 2000 but these impressive gains observed during the MDG era continue to be marred by a digital divide between developed and developing countries.

From Sept. 25 to 27, leaders from more than 150 nations are expected to attend the Sustainable Development Summit, here at UN Headquarters in New York to formally adopt the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Enditem