Women Parliamentarians in the post-2015 development era agenda.

AuthorDriedger, Myrna
PositionConference notes

The Chair of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP)--Canada Region reports on the activities of a CWP Pan-Commonwealth Conference in London, England. The conference, which addressed "Women in the Post Millennium Development Goal Era," explored how women parliamentarians could use their positions to help the fight against global poverty in its many forms, including how it manifests in gender inequality.

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Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) emanated from United Nations' Summits and Conferences in the 1990s. The MDGs represent the world's commitment to deal with global poverty in its many dimensions. This commitment is supported by a global partnership, which calls for country-led strategies and support from developed countries in the areas of trade, official development assistance, debt sustainability and access to medicine and technologies.

The eight MDGs--which range from halving extreme poverty rates to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS to providing universal primary education, all by the target date of 2015--form a blueprint agreed to by all the world's countries and the world's leading development institutions. The goals have galvanized unprecedented efforts to meet the needs of the world's poorest. The UN is also working with governments, civil society and other partners to build on the momentum generated by the MDGs and carry on with an ambitious post-2015 development agenda.

Millennium Development Goals

Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Achieve universal primary education

Promote gender equality and empower women

Reduce child mortality

Improve maternal health

Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

Ensure environmental sustainability

Develop a global partnership for development

** Members are at different levels at achieving MDGs **

Global Efforts to Achieve MDGs

The MDGs have been the most successful global antipoverty push in history. Significant and substantial progress has been made in meeting many of the targets including: halving the number of people living in extreme poverty and the proportion of people without sustainable access to improved sources of drinking water; a significant decline in the proportion of urban slum dwellers; remarkable gains in the fight against malaria and tuberculosis; and visible improvements in all health areas, as well as primary education.

However, there are still areas where action is needed most. For example: one in eight people worldwide remain hungry; too many women die in childbirth when there are means available to save them; and more than 2.5 billion people lack improved sanitation facilities.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon says:

"In more than a decade of experience working towards the MDGs, we have learned that focused global development efforts can make a difference. Through accelerated action, the world can achieve the MDGs and generate momentum for an ambitious and inspiring post-2015 development framework. Now is the time to step up our efforts to build a more just, secure and sustainable future for all."

The CWP Pan-Commonwealth Conference

This conference provided CWP members with...

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