By Pretty Chavango.
Harare. (News Of The South) With just a few months to the deadline of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), work is already underway to pave way for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which in number amount to more than double the former.
Weighing on the successes and failures on the adaptation, implementation and outcomes of the MDGs, the question that comes to mind is are the new targets achievable?
The Government of Zimbabwe set up an MDG implementation and reporting mechanism in the form of 6 MDG thematic groups chaired by relevant sector ministries, with participation of the United Nations and civil society and academia participation.
Presenting on the achievement of the 2015 MDGs in Zimbabwe & priorities for the post-2015 development agenda at a Multi- Stakeholder National Dialogue on the Sustainable Development Goal, Dr Jasmine T. Chipika Senior Economic Development Consultant said of the set 8 MDGs: “It was believed that three goals which are MDG 1 –; MDG Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger MDG, MDG 3 Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women and MDG 6 – Combat HIV and AIDS, Malaria, and Other diseases would underline the achievement of all the 8 MDGs in Zimbabwe.
Overall Zimbabwe did not manage to achieve most of the set goals although a few were successful, Primary school net enrolment and book availability is now high, though effort is still needed to improve completion and higher Grade 7 pass rates.
Zimbabwe managed to achieve gender parity at primary school level, but the proportion of women in decision-making positions is still very low, except in the Upper House of Parliament.
Although infant and under-five mortality rates have gradually declined; more effort is still needed to reduce child mortality.
Maternal mortality remains high although it has almost halved since 2002. HIV & AIDS and general decline in maternal health care continue to underlie this trend.
HIV and AIDS remains a serious public health problem, but Zimbabwe is making good progress in the fight against HIV and AIDS, with rates of infection falling and ARV coverage improving.
The provision of safe water and sanitation, as well as deforestation remains major challenges, particularly in rural areas, although reforestation and forest conservation efforts are in place.
Zimbabwe has made gains in stabilising international relations and increasing telecommunications, however there is still work to be done in managing the debt burden.
Success of the MDGs was hampered by various factors which included but are not limited to Structural poverty and high inequalities inherited under dualism and an enclave economy, Pervasive gender inequalities, raging HIV and AIDS epidemic, underlying high morbidity, maternal and child mortality and rising orphan hood burden, negative perception of the country and perceived human rights abuse, economic recession 2000 -2008 and 2013 to date, high in formalization of the economy , high domestic and foreign debt levels.
Liquidity runch since dollarization (multicurrency system),Climate change affecting mainly agriculture, within the context of over-reliance on rain fed agriculture.
Speaking on the lessons drawn from MDGs as we move to SDGs Dr Chipika had this to say: ‘’In Zimbabwe we quickly realized the interdependence between the 8 MDGs and the need to prioritize the top 3 for maximum impact of our limited resources’’.
MDGs seemed to influence the setting of rather rigid national policy agendas, following international benchmarks, rather than local conditions and often ignoring the complexities of the development process. Lack of clarity on how to tailor global targets to national realities and regional dynamics, among others, e.g. Southern Africa as the epicentre of HIV and AIDS, negatively impacting progress in all the MDGs.Gender on the other hand was compartmentalized in MDG 3 with limited targets and indicators and not mainstreamed in all the goals. Such drawbacks need to be put into consideration as a means to insure SGDs are much more successful.
Zimbabwe, like most other UN Member States has participated in the Global Discourse on the Sustainable Development Goals and the Post 2015 Development Agenda Process. Our participation started in the Rio+20 Conference who’s Outcome Document the “Future we want” gave birth to the Open Working Group which was mandated to prepare the SDGs process which began in March 2013 and ended in July. With Zimbabwe and Zambia representing the SADC Regional Block.
The Zimbabwe United Nations office , ZUNA has already started on efforts to raise awareness on the 17 proposed SDGs , even in high school institutions , ZUNA Youth President Mcleo Mapfumo urged for young people to be actively participant in this process saying there is need to take part as the youth were also involved in the crafting of these goals.
Statistics on progress of the MDGs has blank spaces with some reports missing despite the fact that they are soon drawing to a close, much work is needed as well as collaborative efforts to ensure the same fate does not reoccur in the case of sustained development goals.
The Sustainable Development Goals are a proposed set of targets relating to future international development. They replace the Millennium Development Goals, which expire at the end of 2015.
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