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Somalia will not meet most, if any, of the MDGs
Gal-Mudug State, Somalia. (Photo: IRIN)
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Despite the vision of the Somali Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP), a pro-poor instrument and support from the international community, Somalia is unlikely to meet most, if any, of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. Almost 66% of the population is living in severe poverty. Together with the rest of Horn of Africa, Somalia is now recovering from the worst famine in 60 years, affecting over one-third of its population, armed conflict continues in many areas of the country and the international aid system is unable to meet basic needs: 3.8 million are still in need of emergency aid. With the election of a reform-minded president and speaker of parliament at the end of 2012, will the country be able to overcome these challenges and improve people’s livelihoods?
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UN experts: Post-2015 agenda must focus on equality
United Nations independent experts today called on countries to ensure the post-2015 development agenda focuses on equality, social protection and accountability, noting that one billion people around the world are still living in poverty.
“The rise of inequality has severely undermined the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals, or MDGs,” the independent experts said in their message to Member States which will meet this week in New York to discuss how to a shape a new set of global development goals for the period after the 2015 deadline of the MDGs.
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From charity to justice: all rights for all
Human rights have surged to the forefront of the debate about what will succeed the Millennium Development Goals in 2015. As human rights and social justice organizations worldwide, we feel compelled to lay out some of the baseline implications of embedding human rights into the core of the sustainable development agenda this time around.
At its essence, a post-2015 framework anchored in human rights moves from a model of charity to one of justice, based on the inherent dignity of people as human rights-holders, domestic governments as primary duty-bearers, and all development actors sharing common but differentiated responsibilities.
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G77: Supportive global economy is crucial for new goals
Developing countries stressed the importance of international economic factors and means of implementation in formulating the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The third session of the United Nations General Assembly Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals took place on 22-24 May in New York. The thematic clusters were food security and nutrition, sustainable agriculture, desertification, land degradation and drought, as well as water and sanitation.
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Webinar: Tools for accountability and advocacy
Are you looking for tools to support your advocacy work? The UCLA World Policy Analysis Center (WORLD - has collected data on laws and policies in 193 countries relevant to the priority objectives of Social Watch and member groups, including gender equity, the eradication of poverty, and factors that affect poverty, such as labor conditions and educational policies.
This June, WORLD is offering a unique opportunity for member organizations of Social Watch to learn about this new data source and its potential uses through an interactive webinar and discussion with Dr. Jody Heymann, Dean of the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and Director of the World Policy Analysis Center, and colleagues at the Center. This webinar will provide an overview of the new data available through WORLD and how these can be accessed, as well as sample findings in the areas of:
- poverty reduction policy (e.g. minimum wage, cash benefits),
- gender equity protections (e.g. constitutional guarantees of equity, disparities in the minimum age of marriage for girls and boys),
- and other key areas such as working conditions and education policy.
Webinars will take place in English, French, and Spanish.
To register for a webinar please complete the form at this link: http://goo.gl/KPjrc.
For a full description of the webinar and more information about the World Policy Analysis Center please click here.
