KATHMANDU, Sept 26 – Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said the commitment made by the international community and world leaders to deal with poverty, hunger and disease will be very difficult to meet as what they pledged apparently lacks operational clarity.Addressing a roundtable on poverty and hunger at the UN General Assembly high-level event on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in New York on Thursday, PM Dahal drew attention of the world to the stark reality as pointed out by the UN Task Force in identifying the voids in the implementation of the goals.
He said that it was ironic that more than a billion people, the so-called “bottom billionâ€, mostly in developing countries, are tapped in grinding poverty with an income of less than a dollar a day despite the serious commitment.
“The developed partners have provided only 0.28 per cent of their Gross National Product against the commitment to provide 0.7 per cent as development aid up to this mid-point toward the target date,†said Dahal, “So far only eight countries have met their commitment to provide aid to the least developed countries.
He opined that the review conference on the financing for the development to be held in Doha later this year should be utilised as an opportunity to recommit to the cause of attaining MDGs through strong support from developed countries.
While agreeing with UN Secretary General Ban-Ki-moon that the year 2008 should mark a turning point in progress towards the MGDs, the Nepali prime minister expressed confidence in moving through the course to achieve the target if the leaders recommitted to redirect their combined efforts and resources.
“We are on track of achieving goals related to halving the poverty by 2015, achieving universal primary education, reducing under-five child mortality, and providing safe drinking water. Despite internal conflict, the percentage of people living in poverty has been reduced to 31 per cent. Nepal has made significant progress in improving access to education and health services,†Dahal said elaborating on what he said “mixed result†of Nepal on the MDGs.
The prime minister, however, said, “We have numerous challenges to address among which is the mortality of new-born and reducing hunger among the children under five. We have to address the problem of inequality and exclusion, which is denying the distribution of fruits of development to the people, who often live in the periphery of the sate and the economy.
Further, Dahal said that the current government under his leadership is committed to put the people, who have been traditionally marginalised, at the centre of its development strategy and initiate collective interventions at various levels.
Saying that it was not possible to achieve the MDGs without global political support, stronger partnership and coordinated efforts of all, he added, “Our achievements are likely to be thwarted by the rising food and oil prices and threats of climate change. We need short term and relief and long term measures to deal with them in a comprehensive manner.
The prime minister who reached New York to take part in the UN General Assembly that kicked off on September 25 said that the increasing use of bio-fuels has shifted the focus from crops for food to that for fuel and has triggered the rise in food prices, which he said, must be corrected.
PM Dahal said that the commitment to “making poverty history†will sound empty without a genuine support and cooperation form the developed countries.
He said the situation the world is facing today demands visionary and strategic choice to be made globally.
“Investment in development in the poorer countries is an investment in the peace and stability of the world,†Dahal said, “ I think it is yet another opportunity for this assembly to stand up to the challenge of poverty and hunger.
While pledging to work together in a spirit of partnership to on behalf of the government of Nepal, Dahal asked the global partners for enhanced level of targeted cooperation for sustained socioeconomic development, for the reduction of poverty.
PM Dahal is due to address the 63rd General Assembly of the UN later today.
Prime Dahal met with US President George W Bush and other world leaders in New York on Monday and Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.