Media Launch of UN General Secretary General’s 2015 on MDGs

“Progress has been made and progress is possible”

Held at the UN Conference Hall at 55 Lodi Estate in the morning of 7th July, the media launch of the Millennium Development Goals comprised of four eminent people in the panel – Dr Nagesh Kumar, Head, UN-ESCAP South and South-West Asia Office who listed out the key elements of the MDG Report in simplified terms, Ms Rebecca Tavares, Representative, UN Women, who brought out the gender insights in precise figures, Chief Guest Dr. Bibek Debroy, economist and member, Niti Aayog who critiqued the very system of reports at a practical level. The launch was chaired by Mrs Kiran Mehra- Kerpelman, Director, UN Information Centre for India and Bhutan.

Left to Right : Ms Rebecca Tavares, Chief Guest Dr. Bibek Debroy, Mrs. Kiran Mehra- Kerpelman and Dr. Nagesh Kumar launching the UN Secretary-General’s 2015 Report on MDGs.

The report lists eight goals which were set at the start of the millennium including those on eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, on achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality and empowering women, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, combatting HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, ensuring environmental sustainability and developing a global partnership for development and the progress or decline made in each of these in the past fifteen years.

The report, as said by Dr. Bibek Debroy, shows how India has progressed more in terms of poverty and education and not so much in terms of health. For instance, decline in poverty to more than half from 1.9 billion in 1990 to 836 million in 2015 and primary school enrollment rate increased from 83% to 91%. “However, health and sanitation aspects still need to be addressed more seriously, particularly at the local level by the municipalities”,says Dr Debroy.

The Gender insights as articulated by the UN Women Representative, Rebecca Tavares, began on an optimistic note with Rebecca stating how 4 out of the 5 UPSC exam toppers this year are women and how such facts may not be an indicator of the reduction of gender inequalities but definitely serve as an inspiration. “I think after this, people will respect women more, especially disabled women”, she said.

All in all, the Millennium Development Goals Report 2015 shows that “Progress has been made and progress is possible” and as Rebecca Tavares said, in this report, “ We see hope.”