The Millennium Declaration of 2000 - Essay Example

The Millennium Declaration of 2000 led to the coming up of eight key things which each countries promised to achieve (Barnes 2004). According to him further, this declaration, signed by 189 countries, was translated into a strategy setting of goals to be achieved by 2015. They were; Commitments to reduce extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, Promote gender equality and empower women, Reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases, ensuring environmental sustainability and lastly the development of a strong partnership for development (Agnes, V 2005 P. 103-105). To reduce extreme poverty and hunger, it was agreed that, the proportion of people living on less than one U.S. dollar a day should be reduced dramatically by half. Also, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger should also be reduced to half by the year 2015 (Richmond, S 2007). This was mainly to be achieved through rural investments and other development channels aimed at the rural areas. People living with less than a dollar per day are the majority in the developing world, thus, they should be thought of in the first place. In achieving the free universal education, it was agreed that, all boys and girls must complete a full course of primary schooling in all the signatory countries and if need be force should be used to make them attend schools (Agnes, V 2005 P. 104). No body should fail to get the free education. In agreement was increased enrollment accompanied by efforts to ensure that all children remain in school to receive a high quality education. All present agreed to this as knowledge is power. To promote gender equality, it was agreed that gender disparity should be reduced in both primary and secondary education probably by half in the year 2005 and the remaining chunk by 2015. This was to be made possible by the emphasis of the second goal; free universal education. Also, the consideration of women to higher positions in work places was to be put into limelight as women can contribute to the wellbeing of a nation as well as promoting the sense of belonging and nationhood. The reduction of child mortality was put into light. It was said that, the mortality rates for children under five should be reduced by two thirds (Oloo 2004). This was to be achieved through the promotion of better health practices during pregnancy and after birth. This menace is more pronounced in African countries due to the poor state of the health facilities as well as negligence and the loss of the strong will to live. Maternal deaths were to be reduced by three quarters by 2015 if the world is to say that some progress as been made. The mortality rate during pregnancy is too high and in many cases leads to still births and deaths during birth. This should be put into complete halt if the above goal is to be met. The effect of this is felt over time as it sometimes leads to death of the parent and the child. This is a loss and will affect not only the dead but those that are left behind. HIV and Aids is becoming a prevalent disease in many parts of the globe. Malaria on the other hand is maiming many families as it is causing many deaths, thus a prevalent disease. The aim of combating the above is another goal. These prevalent diseases are robbing the world of the work force and the children thus rendering the societies to be unproductive. The faster the control the better if the world is to move forward. In some instances, it is a bit tougher to take control since the youths which are the most affected are not taking heed to the advices they get and in most cases don’t change their provocative behaviours. Hence the strong need for the increased combat. To ensure environmental compatibility according to Richmond, S (2007), countries agreed to integrate the principles of sustainable development into their respective policies and programmes as well as reversing loss of environmental resources. Further, they agreed to reduce to half the proportion of who live without sustainable access to safe drinking water. Likewise according to him, they agreed to achieve significant up-lifts in the lives of at least about 80 million slum dwellers, by 2020 (P. 34). Lastly, signatory counties agreed to develop a global partnership for development. In it, they agreed to further an open trading and financial systems which are rule based, which can be predicted and which are not discriminatory in any manner. Further, they committed themselves to good governance, to develop their counties and to reduce poverty both nationally and internationally. The developed countries agreed to address the least developed countries’ special needs. This includes tariff and quota free access for their exports. Further, there was to be reasonable debt waiver for heavily indebted poor countries and if possible, cancellation of official bilateral debt in addition to more generous official development assistance for countries committed to poverty reduction. They further agreed to address the special needs of land locked as well as small developing States and to deal with finality with developing countries debt problems through national and international measures to make debt sustainable in the long term. Lastly, in cooperation with the developing countries, they agreed to develop decent and productive work for youth. Results of the achieving this goals have been mixed; some significant achievements in some parts of the globe and very minimal in others. Majority of the world population live in the rural areas and thus are not receiving the required the necessary information. As an example as to how the goals have been met in some various counties, the Universal Free Primary education has been met at various degrees of significance. In developing countries like Kenya, the goal of free primary education has been met 70% of it. Since the coming to power of the new government, primary school education has been made for free and compulsory to every child. A law has been put in place for the parents who fail to take their children to school to be punished. This has really worked well for the common man who cannot afford to take his/her kids to private schools which need a big chunk of money. Currently, a country like Uganda is talking of introducing free education from primary to secondary schools. This is a nice step forward towards achieving this goal by the year 2015. Kenya has followed suit. During this year’s election pledge by all the presidential candidates, free secondary education is the talk of them all. If all goes well then by the start of next year, education will be free from primary to secondary. This goal has been the best met so far as many children have enrolled to schools in big numbers all over the world. In conclusion, the millennium goals are a challenge to many countries and the need to be a notch higher by 2015 is driving them to do as expected. This is one part the world appears to read fro the same script. If all goes well, the world will be a better place by 2015. Works cited Agnes, V (2005). Millennium Goals. London: Penguin, P. 103-105 Barnes (2004). MDGs: How they can be achieved and the role of each one of us. Ohio: Akron University Press. Oloo (2004). How the world came together for a worth cause. Nairobi: General Printers Richmond, S (2007). Achieving the Millennium Declarations: Substantial achievemnents made so far. Baltimore: John Hopkins University, P. 30-40. Read More