Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Role of Media

1. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Role of Media Minar Pimple Regional Director, Asia and the Pacific UN Millennium Campaign

2. Accountability Framework of the MDGs • At the UN Summit in 2000, Heads of States signed the Millennium Declaration which establishes key principles for achieving the MDGs, such as equality, solidarity, sustainability and good governance, and emphasizes inter-linkages between development, human rights, and peace and security. • The MDGs are a set of 8 specific development goals to be achieved by 2015. • The MDGs commit developed and developing countries to work together to achieve these goals. • Developing countries have primary responsibility for achieving Goals 1-7, by improving policies and programmes, ensuring pro-poor and transparent public expenditures, and delivering pro-poor labour-intensive growth, among others. • Goal 8 is required to ensure that developed countries play their part in this global partnership by increasing the quality and quantity of aid, reforming trade policy and implementing debt cancellation.

3. MDG Gains in Asia Pacific • The region as a whole is firmly on track to meet the poverty goal, by reducing the proportion of people living on less than $1.25 per day from 50% to 22% (1990 – 2009). • It has also reduced gender inequality in primary, secondary and tertiary education. • On health, it has begun to reduce the HIV prevalence and has stopped the spread of TB. • On the environment, it has increased the proportion of land area that is covered by forests or has protected status, while reducing the consumption of ozone-depleting substances. • It has more than halved the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water.

4. MDG Challenges in Asia Pacific • The region has yet to ensure all children complete primary school. • Over 1.8 billion people remain deprived of basic sanitation. • On health targets, the region has been slow to prevent people from going hungry, stop children from dying before their fifth birthday, and prevent mothers from dying from causes related to childbirth. • Disparities between countries are widening in some cases. E.g. population in poverty, underweight children, infant and under-5 mortality, maternal mortality, and TB incidence and prevalence. • Wide disparities within countries exist. E.g. Gaps between urban and rural areas, b/w boys and girls, and b/w more and less educated population.

5. Role of Media for MDG Achievement • Bring out positive and negative human stories on the MDGs and build awareness. • Serve as MDG champions and watchdogs, promoting accountability and making sure that governments deliver on their MDG commitments. • Conduct critical reporting on state and local government’s performance and analyzing the underlying obstacles in achieving the MDGs. • Ensure government’s response to social and economic priorities of all citizens, especially the poor and most vulnerable.

6. UN Millennium Campaign: Case Studies • Mission Ustaad – Combine music entertainment and development issues and broadcast it through the nationwide TV network. • MDG documentary programmes were designed and created using attractive visual and contents • Several Public Services Advertisements (PSAs) were released in 2007. Various Asian celebrities helped promote the MDGs • Partnership with major media players to mobilize resources and funding

7. UN Millennium Campaign: Case Studies • Rajasthan Patrika – Campaign for Advocacy and Public Participation for Development Goals in Rajasthan to Strengthening of democratic and participatory governance • Citizens Watch for 200 Constituencies • Opinion Poll – Role of media in shaping the public opinion to pushing for the Reproduction Health Bill in the Philippines

8. Examples of media initiatives • Miami University, School of Communication

9. “Living Proof”- A partnership between One and Bill Gates Foundation to feature positive MDG stories • The Guardian • MDGs website