Монгол

[ August 6, 2010, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia ]

“Sixty-six percent of the Millennium Development Goals are on track or likely to be achieved by 2015”, said the Third National Report on the Implementation of MDGs, which is launched today by the Government of Mongolia in the presence of Mr. Ajay Chhibber, UN Assistant Secretary-General, UNDP Assistant Administrator and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific.

The report also indicates 6 out of 9 goals and 18 out of 24 targets are likely to be achieved. Amongst the successes are school enrolment rates of 93.5% at the primary level and 91.2% at secondary level in 2009. Furthermore, the Child Mortality Rate and the Maternal Mortality Rate are almost on track.

While the progress is notable, key findings show that targets such as poverty, gender equality and environment MDGs are slow progressing and or even in regressing trend. Despite annual economic growth (9%), mainly due to mineral resources, Mongolia has not yet managed to create job opportunities and distribute wealth equally. A better redistribution of revenues, especially to ensure safety nets for marginalized population is imperative to advance the MDG 1, poverty reduction.

The lack of adequate water and sanitation provision in rural and peri-urban areas of Mongolia poses serious and direct threats to the human security of vulnerable populations. Adequate investments in health, clean water and sanitation and in human resource development to run these services need to be secured. Moreover, the country is affected by serious problems of land and ecosystem degradation, including pasture, forest and water, desertification, loss of biodiversity and air pollution in urban areas. Sustainable management of Mongolia’s natural resources remains essential to adjust to the impact of climate change.

The Third National MDG Report was developed as a policy document to analyze socio-economic situation of the country and providing policy recommendations for further actions intensifying the implementation of the MDGs. The report assesses the implementation of each target against the policy recommendations stated in the previous report. The United Nations, in particular UNDP, has provided technical and financial support to the government in producing the three National MDG Reports and will remain committed to supporting the government for achieving the MDGs. The findings of the third national report will be presented in the 2010 MDG Review Summit in New York on 20-22 September.

With only five years left until the 2015 deadline to achieve the MDGs, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued the following statement: "Eradicating extreme poverty continues to be one of the main challenges of our time, and is a major concern of the international community. Ending this scourge will require the combined efforts of all, governments, civil society organizations and the private sector, in the context of a stronger and more effective global partnership for development. The Millennium Development Goals set timebound targets, by which progress in reducing income poverty, hunger, disease, lack of adequate shelter and exclusion — while promoting gender equality, health, education and environmental sustainability — can be measured. They also embody basic human rights — the rights of each person on the planet to health, education, shelter and security. The Goals are ambitious but feasible and, together with the comprehensive United Nations development agenda, set the course for the world’s efforts to alleviate extreme poverty by 2015.“

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)1 are eight international development goals that all 192 United Nations Member States and several international organizations have agreed to achieve by the year 2015 and officially established at the Millennium Summit in September 2000. Mongolia is committed to achieve these goals and even added a MDG 9 on strengthening human rights and fostering democratic governance.

1 Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, Achieve universal primary education   romote gender equality nd mpower women Reduce Child Mortality Rate, Improve maternal health Combat HIV/AIDS malaria and other diseases, Ensure environmental sustainability, Develop a global partnership for development

Press Contacts:
Ms. Jargalsaikhan Purevdorj, Communication Analyst, Tel: (976-11)-327585 /ext 195/, Mobile: 99135393, Jargalsaikhan.purevdorj@undp.or