UN millennium goals: Msia attains all but one
Roshan JasonPublished: Jan 28, 2005 8:46 PM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 6:21 PM
Efforts to combat the spread of HIV/Aids among the population have not been as successful as other initiatives outlined under United Nation's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for Malaysia, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said today.
The country missed the goal relating to the spread of HIV/Aids and the prime minister says that closer cooperation with NGOs is needed to overcome the scourge.
Efforts to combat the spread of HIV/Aids among the population have not been as successful as other initiatives outlined under United Nation's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for Malaysia, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said today.
"While Malaysia has succeeded in achieving most of the goals, there remain many challenges that continue to threaten human development.
"For example, we have not been able to halt or reverse the spread of HIV/Aids, which is especially disturbing given that reported cases continue to increase," said Abdullah when launching the Malaysian Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) report in Kuala Lumpur.
The MDGs are the result of a UN summit in September 2000 where world leaders resolved to strengthen global efforts for peace, democracy, good governance and poverty eradication while continuing to promote principles of human rights and dignity.
The MDG report said that since 1970, Malaysia has achieved a number of national development goals which coincidentally cover essential elements of the MDGs. Out of the eight MDGs, seven have been attained by the country.
They are the eradication of poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality and empowering women, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health and ensuring environmental sustainability.
Women opportunities
At a press conference after the launching, the premier said steps would be taken to address the failure of reaching MDG 6 - combatting HIV/Aids - and they would include closer cooperation with NGOs particularly the Malaysian Aids Council (MAC).
Abdullah, however, did not set a time frame for the government to attain MDG 6 saying that discussions and opinions from various quarters would first have to be taken into consideration. The UN has set 2015 as the deadline for all MDGs.
UN's Resident Representative to Malaysia, Richard Leete, in his opening remarks earlier, said challenges remain for Malaysia in sustaining the MDGs achievements adding that one area which required attention was high dropout rate of male students from secondary schools.
"Other concerns include addressing outstanding pockets of poverty especially among marginalised rural groups and providing more opportunities for women in economic and political life," he said.
He noted that the Malaysian success in attaining a majority of its MDGs was an example for other countries to emulate.
Leete also quoted UN Development Programme head Mark Malloch Brown as saying that Malaysia's successes ' ... reflect good governance and political resolve to improve development outcomes for all'.
"While Malaysia has succeeded in achieving most of the goals, there remain many challenges that continue to threaten human development.
"For example, we have not been able to halt or reverse the spread of HIV/Aids, which is especially disturbing given that reported cases continue to increase," said Abdullah when launching the Malaysian Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) report in Kuala Lumpur. The MDGs are the result of a UN summit in September 2000 where world leaders resolved to strengthen global efforts for peace, democracy, good governance and poverty eradication while continuing to promote principles of human rights and dignity.
The MDG report said that since 1970, Malaysia has achieved a number of national development goals which coincidentally cover essential elements of the MDGs. Out of the eight MDGs, seven have been attained by the country.
They are the eradication of poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality and empowering women, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health and ensuring environmental sustainability.
Women opportunities
At a press conference after the launching, the premier said steps would be taken to address the failure of reaching MDG 6 - combatting HIV/Aids - and they would include closer cooperation with NGOs particularly the Malaysian Aids Council (MAC).
Abdullah, however, did not set a time frame for the government to attain MDG 6 saying that discussions and opinions from various quarters would first have to be taken into consideration. The UN has set 2015 as the deadline for all MDGs.
UN's Resident Representative to Malaysia, Richard Leete, in his opening remarks earlier, said challenges remain for Malaysia in sustaining the MDGs achievements adding that one area which required attention was high dropout rate of male students from secondary schools. "Other concerns include addressing outstanding pockets of poverty especially among marginalised rural groups and providing more opportunities for women in economic and political life," he said.
He noted that the Malaysian success in attaining a majority of its MDGs was an example for other countries to emulate.
Leete also quoted UN Development Programme head Mark Malloch Brown as saying that Malaysia's successes ' ... reflect good governance and political resolve to improve development outcomes for all'.
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