Sri Lanka supports the Millennium Development Goals

The Government and the people of Sri Lanka participated at the Millennium Summit in September 2000 and pledged their support to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. To make good on the commitment, a national campaign has been launched in Sri Lanka to meet the targets. This campaign is led by the Ministry of Finance and Planning and direct implementation assistance is provided by UNDP. The National Council for Economic Development (NCED) brings together stakeholders from the private and public sector.

By adopting a pro-poor and pro-growth strategy the country has worked ceaselessly to reach the target goals in the eight different categories which include eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, reducing child mortality, promoting universal education and environmental sustainability. Despite setbacks, such as the tsunami, the Government has made considerable progress in the areas of social and human development. Of course, a lot remains to be done but Sri Lanka is on schedule to meet most if not all the MDG goals. In addition, the MDG Country Report for the year 2005 sets out the broad outline for the achievement of the targets:

Overcome disparity and reduce inequality: There are regional disparities in the country. Most of the country’s wealth and economic activity is concentrated in the Western Province. Poverty is, as in many countries, usually concentrated in the rural areas. In order to achieve the MDG’s the country is endeavoring to mitigate these regional disparities.

Local actions using local resources: For Sri Lanka to reach the targets action plans are formulated at the local level with support from policies and financial resources at the national level. Also, local capacity is being developed. Such a measure will ensure that the specific concerns of each region are being met.

Improving Governance: Democratic and representative Governance structures promote accountability, transparency and efficiency. They provide mechanisms for participation of citizens in the social and political life, and legitimacy and authority to the Government to work for the achievement of the goals.

International Support and access to International Markets: The Government is actively seeking to reduce inequality and promote development so that the benefits of growth reach all sections of society.

Dialogue and Partnerships: Although the Government has the primary responsibility for leading the efforts for the successful achievement of the MDG’s it requires the concerted efforts of different stakeholders including the citizens, the private sector, and the civil society.

Progress in Sri Lanka

Goal 1: Eradicate extreme Poverty and Hunger:

Sri Lanka has done extremely well in terms of Goal 1. According to the Household Income and Expenditure Survey-2006/07, Department of Census and Statistics, Sri Lanka, the national head count index has gone down to 15.2 per cent in 2006/07 from 22.7 in 2002. This brings us very close to the target of 13.1 per cent set for the year 2015.

However, there are regional disparities. The Estate sector reports the highest head count index at 32 per cent. The Western and Southern provinces are the most urbanized and have the lowest levels of poverty. Initiatives that focus on alleviating poverty through early recovery efforts are in place, especially in the North and the East. UNDP’s Community Reconstruction Project (CRP), Livelihood Development Project (LDP) and the Communities for Peace (C4P) focus on helping the returnees and host communities through a number of different initiatives. In addition, UNDP has cleared about 159224215 sq. meters of land from mines thus paving the way for resettlement of IDP’s and other recovery and development activities. Finally, a project on ‘Livelihood and Enterprise Development in Uva Wellasa contributes to poverty reduction in the Monaragala district-one of the poorest districts in the country and designated by the Government as a top priority for development focus.

Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education:

There has been an increase in the net enrollment ratio in primary schools. In 2003, it was estimated at 98.35 per cent, an increase from the 95.2 per cent in 1990. Certain districts like Anuradhapura, Pollonnaruwa, Batticaloa and Kegalle have 100 per cent enrolment rates. However, a small percentage of children are still not enrolled in schools. These include children from poor families, plantation and coastal areas and the displaced in the North and the East.

Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women:

Sri Lanka is on target to achieve three of the five indicators for this goal. The ratio of boys to girls in primary and secondary education is very promising at 95.3 and 104.2 respectively in 2001. The ratio of literate women to men between the ages of 15-24 was 101.0 in 2001. However, in terms of share in wage employment in the non-agriculture sector, the figure stood at 31 per cent in 2001. According to the MDG Country Report 2005, the proportion of seats held by women in the National Parliament fell from 5.3 in 1994 to 4.9 in 2004.

Efforts to build upon the existing improvements are underway. To address the low level of female political representation, training in negotiation and leadership is being provided for potential women leaders in eight districts under the under the UNDP Women’s Political Empowerment Project, 2008. This project is funded by the UNDP Democratic Governance Thematic Trust Fund (DGTTF).

A greater involvement of women in community environment programme and community water initiatives has been supported through the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grant Scheme, making sure that gender concerns are addressed and implemented/monitored in the grant activities and women’s groups are eligible to access the grant. In projects in the North, East and the estate sector, special attention is focused on women and other vulnerable groups.

Goal 4: Reduce child mortality:

The country is on-track to meet the target for this goal. Sri Lanka has traditionally invested in policies related to better and improved childcare. As a result of which, the country has achieved remarkable progress in health and social development. Infant mortality in Sri Lanka in 2002 was only 17 per 1000 live births. The percentage of children, under the age of one, with immunization coverage against polio and measles was 88 and 86 respectively.

Again, there are variations across sectors and regions. Generally speaking, the situation in the estate sector and in the North and the East is below the national average.

Goal 5: Improve maternal health:

Sri Lanka has been working consistently to reduce the maternal mortality rate. A network of maternal services which work together with childcare services and government mid-wives has transformed Sri Lanka into a success story.

The Maternal Mortality Ratio went down from 0.92 (per 1000 live births) in 1990 to 0.47 (per 1000 live births) in 2001. This has also ensured that Sri Lanka is on target to achieve the goal (0.36 per 1000 live births) by 2015.

Goal 6: Combat HIV/Aids, malaria and other diseases:

UNAIDS classifies Sri Lanka as ‘low-level HIV epidemic’. About 3,500 people were living with the HIV virus in 2003. However, the behavioral factors that aid the spread of the virus are prevalent in the country.

Vulnerable groups include Internally Displaced Persons (IDP’s) from the North and the East, workers in the plantation sector and the fishing community.

In terms of halting the progress of malaria and other diseases, the country is set to achieve the target of considerably reducing the incidence of malaria. The lowest percentage of malaria cases were in the Western and Southern provinces (0.9 per cent)

The prevalence of Tuberculosis is on the rise in the country. The MDG Country Report for Sri Lanka for 2005 states that the number of cases increased from 6,174 in 1991 to 8,884 in 2002. Some factors that could have contributed to an increase in the incidence of TB are increase in internal migration, and insufficient levels of resources and support.

Goal 7: Promote gender equality and empower women:

With respect to Goal 7 UNDP is helping the Government improve environmental sustainability by integrating principles of sustainable development into Country Programmes and policies. UNDP also focuses on helping communities use natural resources and renewable energy in a sustainable way. It has helped promote community-based best practices in bio-diversity, land degradation, water quality and climate change adaptation. In addition, it supported the development of a national road-map for environment-‘Caring for Environment’. At the same time, it has helped in developing national and local capacity for responding to and preparing for disasters.

Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development:

Achieving the MDG’s is not just the responsibility of one country but a partnership between the developed and the developing world. Both parties share responsibilities. The developing nations have to show their commitment to achieving the MDG’s by strengthening Governance, Democracy, Human Rights and Social justice. The commitment should be in terms of both financial resources and willingness to introduce changes in the existing system. The responsibility of the developed world includes facilitating the efforts of the developing world.