The Millennium Development Goals provide a framework for the entire United Nations System to work, together with host countries, towards a common goal. They are the most broadly-supported, comprehensive, and specific poverty reduction targets the world has ever established. There are 8 Millennium Development Goals: |
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ERADICATE EXTREME POVERTY AND HUNGER: Reduce by half the proportion of people living on less than a dollar a day and the proportion of people who suffer from hunger. |
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ACHIEVE UNIVERSAL PRIMARY EDUCATION: Ensure that all boys and girls complete a full course of primary schooling. |
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PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY AND EMPOWER WOMEN: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005, and at all levels by 2015 |
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REDUCE CHILD MORTALITY: Reduce by two thirds the mortality rate among children under five between 1990 and 2015. |
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IMPROVE MATERNAL HEALTH: Reduce by three quarters the maternal mortality ratio |
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COMBAT HIV/AIDS, MALARIA AND OTHER DISEASES: a) Halt and begin to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS, b) Halt and begin to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases. |
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ENSURE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY: a) Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes; reverse loss of environmental resources, b) Reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water, c) Achieve significant improvement in lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers, by 2020 |
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DEVELOP A GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR DEVELOPMENT: a) Develop further an open, rule-based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial system Includes a commitment to good governance, development, and poverty reduction — both nationally and internationally, b) Address the special needs of the least developed countries Includes: tariff and quota free access for least developed countries' exports; enhanced programme of debt relief for HIPCs and cancellation of official bilateral debt; and more generous ODA for countries committed to poverty reduction, c) Address the special needs of landlocked countries and small island developing States, d) Deal comprehensively with the debt problems of developing countries through national and international measures in order to make debt sustainable in the long term, e) : In cooperation with developing countries, develop and implement strategies for decent and productive work for youth, f) In cooperation with pharmaceutical companies, provide access to affordable essential drugs in developing countries, g) In cooperation with the private sector, make available the benefits of new technologies, especially information and communications. |
UNDP in Rwanda attempts to address the MDGs through each of its programme activities. In particular, UNDP Rwanda's work on the MDGs focuses on:
- Campaigning and mobilisation: supporting advocacy for the MDGs and working with partners to mobilise society to build awareness of the challenges ahead and progress made.
- Analysis: researching and sharing strategies and best practice in the fields of innovation, institutional reform, policy implementation, and evaluation of financing options.
- Monitoring: helping countries report advancement towards the MDGs and track progress.
- Operational activities: goal-driven assistance to support governments to tailor MDGs to local circumstances and challenges, and addressing barriers to progress.
Rwanda presents a unique case in development and in the progress towards achieving the MDGs. Whereas many countries were on course to implement the MDGs in the 1990s and beyond, Rwanda has been recovering from the tragic and devastating genocide and civil war of 1994.
All the MDG indicators in Rwanda were actually dramatically reversed during and as a consequence of the 1994 genocide and fell far below 1990 levels. Therefore, Rwanda's "starting line" for working towards the MDGs begins much later, and much lower, than in many other countries. For instance, the proportion of people living in extreme povery in Rwanda was 47.5% in 1990, and 77.8% in 1995. By 2000, this figure had fallen to 60%, and is continuing to decrease to this day.
Poverty in Rwanda is measured using a poverty line which represents the cost of an adult's basic needs: enough food to provide 2,500 calories per day, and some basic non-food items. While the poverty line was 175 Rwandan Francs (RWF) per day in January 2001 prices, it increased to RWF 250 per day in January 2006 prices. Any person who consumes less than this amount is classified as poor. Similarly, extreme poverty line covers food costs only, and varied from RWF 123 per day in 2001 to RWF 175 per day in 2006. Rwanda has made impressive strides in recent years, and whilst significant challenges remain, Rwanda 's government along with its development partners are strongly committed to working towards achieving the MDGs.
Measuring the progress of the MDGs in Rwanda Click for more details.
MDGs Progress and Challenges in Rwanda , 2008: Click for more details.
Case Study on drivers of progress the Millennium Development Goals, February 2010: Click for more details
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Rwanda
