Localisation of MDGs

PAKISTAN will not be able to meet the targets set for the Millennium Development Goals until the strategic priorities conform to its specific, diverse and complex socio-economic, political and cultural realities. It is on this one-point agenda that some consensus is emerging among the leading development practitioners, economists, civil society leaders, parliamentarians, NGO activists and local community representatives. The same consensus was seen during the national conference on 'Monitoring the Achievements of the MDGs and Weaknesses of the Existing Budgetary Allocations' organised by the Policy & Governance Section of Action Aid, Pakistan supported by the USAID. Speakers and participants were of the view that for the MDGs targets to be realised, a political will is required to devolve and localise. The aim of the conference was to create a space for communities and civil society organisations to critically monitor and influence the government to devolve MDGs implementation; sensitising civil societies to play proactive role, analysing the strengths and weakness of the government initiatives, and developing civil society recommendations to help achieve set goals. From the community voice to expert opinion, the focus was on two main goals of education and health which, it was felt, should be given priority by the government. Speakers including Qamar Zaman Kaira, Dr Pervez Tahir, Abrar Kazi, Senator Haji Adeel, Naseer Memon, Irfan Mufti, Dr Ishaq Baloch, Dr Sarfraz and Zulfiqar Halepoto stressed the need to localise the MDGs programmes and targets by strengthening local institutions. The proceedings started with presentations by grass-root communities and civil society activists from six districts–Bhakkar, Muzaffargarh, Multan, Sukkur, Sanghar and Qambar-Shahdadkot– who monitor the district level progress of the MDGs and are engaged with the local government systems to influence decision making processes. Community representatives of these six districts shared the respective findings of their budget tracking and development expenditure. These initiatives were designed to raise people's voices on the alarming situation and poor progress towards the MDGs. Speakers made their voices loud and clear on the major issues set in the year 2000 on eradication of extreme hunger and poverty, universal primary education, improving maternal health, reducing child mortality rate, combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, gender equality, women empowerment, environment sustainability and developing global partnership for development. Presentations from all the four provinces were an eye-opener and suggested that the targets of education and health–the basic indicators— were far behind targets. The government's fourth official report on MDGs says 16 national targets and 37 indicators were adopted. Pakistan is ahead in six indicators, on-track in two, slow in four, lagging behind in 20 and off-track in one indicator (infant mortality). The report was criticised by participants who maintained that the success stories were fabricated and achievements were not reflected in the ground realities. It was suggested that localisation of MDGs programmes in Pakistan is a must and socio-economic and politico-cultural diversity has to be kept in mind because the MDGs are focused on aggregate 'targets' while understanding of the local and urban dimension is missing. If aggregate targets are achieved, disparities across people and places may persist. Presentations on provincial governments progress recommended that leading national policies– including those of national educational, safe drinking water, sanitation, environment, health and fisheries policies and the disaster management— should have a provincial outlook as MDGs fall into their domains after the 18th Amendment. The conference agenda includes starting of an inclusive development dialogue to develop provincial strategies and planning.