Item 22: Millennium goals or own goals?

Resolution submitted by the RCN Lewisham and North Southwark Branch

That this meeting of RCN Congress asks RCN Council to work at home and internationally to account for progress on achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals

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Introducing this resolution, Shirley Ali explained that the eight millennium goals agreed by the United Nations member states were not on target to be achieved by 2015. She said that the goals, which reflect the aspirations of the world, have made progress but more work needs to be done.

Successes to date include an increasing uptake of the measles vaccine as well as reductions in the number of people dying of AIDs and infection rates for HIV. Malaria prevention is increasing and the incidence of TB is expected to be halted and decline.

However, there needs to be action in areas such as maternal health since women are still dying in child birth. In addition, many of the world's populations are living in slums and have poor sanitation.

Jo Carroll from the RCN Child Protection Forum said that we have both a moral and ethical responsibility to pressure governments to make progress on the goals. She said the commitment to achieve the goals must be honoured despite the economic crisis.

Bryan Wilson referred to the congress resolution on malaria a couple of years ago and Nykoma Hamilton stressed the work that needed to be done to reduce levels of violence against women. It is a "universal truth" she said, that violence against women is not acceptable.

Dave Dawes said that governments are not funding the promises they made and highlighted the relative small expense of treatments for malaria for example.

RCN President Maura Buchanan explained that the RCN engaged at a number of levels internationally and was currently reviewing its own international work.

David Jones from the Greater Bristol branch spoke of working in both Zimbabwe and Zambia and described the very desperate conditions experienced by some people.

Results of the resolution

For: 313 96.6%
Against: 11 3.4%
Abstain: 8

PASSED

Background

In 2000, the United Nations (UN) member states agreed eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to eradicate extreme poverty by 2015. These goals include targets relating to poverty, gender equality, education, the environment, aid, and trade for development, as well as specific health targets for child and maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.

While the UN's 2008 Millennium development goals report detailed a number of improvements (particularly in primary school enrolment, overall global poverty reduction, mortality from measles and AIDS, and reductions in debt servicing), maternal mortality rates remain worryingly high — particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia. Almost half the developing world's population still lives without improved sanitation and 25% of children in developing countries are underweight. There has also been limited progress in relation to gender equality, which underpins many of the other targets. Without significant additional effort and investment the UN goals will not be met by 2015.

In autumn 2008, 22 countries reconfirmed their aid pledges amid concerns about the impact of the economic crisis on the developed world's aid commitment, with the UK committing to meet the 0.7% of gross national income target for development aid by 2013. Some countries, such as Denmark, Norway and Sweden, have already achieved this target while others such as the US and Japan, lag behind.

The UK's Department for International Development (DfID) works with a wide range of stakeholders to address all eight MDGs. Its latest health strategy Working together for better health (2007) has prioritised sexual and reproductive health, universal access to HIV and AIDS related services and the reduction of health inequalities. DfID also works closely with UK health departments to encourage greater engagement from health staff.

In 2006 the Welsh Assembly Government adopted a framework for action on international sustainable development to support the MDGs and has a strong focus on partnership and volunteering, including a Wales for Africa grant scheme. In its 2008 international framework and development policy, the Scottish Government laid out plans to enhance Scotland's contribution to fighting global poverty and committed £21 million of funding, over a three-year period, to overseas development, including for partnerships with Malawi. The Northern Ireland Assembly, meanwhile, has also endorsed the MDGs and welcomed the commitments of the UK and Irish governments to meet the gross national income contributions towards achieving these goals. In 2008 the Assembly also resolved to work in partnership with agencies, particularly with the Coalition of Aid and Development Agencies (CADA), towards long-term international development objectives.

The International Council of Nurses (ICN) has worked with many organisations (including other international health professional groups, the World Health Organisation, and nurses associations such as the RCN) to push for greater investment in education, recruitment and retention of health workers in the developing world, without whom the MDGs cannot be delivered. The ICN is also involved in HIV/AIDS and malaria projects and, with the RCN, has lobbied for the establishment of a UN Women's Agency to address the continuing gender inequality that threatens achievement of the MDGs.