As world leaders prepare for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) summit on 20 – 22ndSeptember at the United Nations in New York, aid agencies and development organisations have released colossal amounts of research outlining the progress of the MDGs. The media have certainly responded with an amazing level of interest – the UK’s Guardian appeared to have timed the launch of their new website, Global Development, to coincide with the summit.
Amid this information overload, there are missing voices: those of the developing world, whose poverty the MDGs are meant to address. While I am aware that the MDGs are coordinated by various UN agencies whose reports have dominated the public domain, the noted lack of input by developing countries should be a cause for concern and the reasons behind this must be probed. The MDGs initiative cannot succeed without the input and co-operation of developing countries.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame, co-chairperson of MDGs Africa Consultative Forumrecently hinted that most African governments are frustrated and have no hope in the MDGs. He argues that their sole reason for pursuing the MDGs is because “someone wants them [the African leaders] to, not for the good of the people.” Read more about MDGs and Africa here