Key Themes
Program Elements
Millenium Development Goals
State of the Future
Global Change Fiesta
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Millenium Development
Goals
Young Professionals
and the MDG's
The Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) capture the global objectives set out in the
Millennium Declaration for attaining peace and security, human rights
and sustainable development, agreed on by all UN Member States at the
Millennium Summit, held in September 2000. The eight Millennium
Development Goals bind countries to do more and join forces in the
fight against poverty, illiteracy, hunger, lack of education, gender
inequality, child and maternal mortality, disease and environmental
degradation. The eighth goal, reaffirmed in Monterrey and Johannesburg,
calls on rich countries to relieve debt, increase aid and give poor
countries fair access to their markets and their technology. The
Millennium Development Goals are a test of political will to build
stronger partnerships and offer the world a means to accelerate the
pace of development and to measure results.
Young Professionals have a necessary and vital role to play in the
achievement of the MDGs as current and future business, government and
community leaders, as employers and entrepreneurs, as agents for
positive change in their communities and organisations, possessing the
skills and talents to help create a better world for current and future
generations.
At the International Young Professionals Summit, Nov 29 to Dec 3 2004,
the young professional delegates in attendance will consider how their
action to achieve Sustainable Livelihoods and the application of
Science and Technology can contribute to the achievement of the MDGs.
For example, the creation of sustainable livelihoods for all, through
entrepreneurship and job creation, or by ensuring trade and
globalisation work for everyone, can help to achieve MDG 1 "Eradicate
extreme poverty and hunger: reduce by half the proportion of people
living on less than a dollar a day & reduce by half the proportion
of people who suffer from hunger". Science and Technology, for example
through providing civic infrastructure such as waste and sanitation
systems, and ensuring the delivery of fresh water, can help to achieve
MDG 4 "Reduce child mortality: reduce by two thirds the mortality rate
among children under five". The themes of the IYPS 2004 will also look
at MDGs 7 (environmental sustainability) and 8 (on partnerships for
development).
The first comprehensive review of the implementation of the MDGs will
take place in 2005 (MDGs +5). The MDG+5 Summit will bring together a
review of the progression made in implementing the Millennium
Declaration and address the coherent follow-up to the major United
Nations conferences in economic and social fields. MDGs +5 will provide
the opportunity of ensuring the development of policies and action
plans to serve the needs of the worlds poorest, while also allowing
greater consideration to be offered on how to converge the numerous
intergovernmental processes on sustainable development. Given
that the proposed date for the MDG+5 summit is little more than a year
away, the IYPS will provide a wonderful opportunity for young
professionals to engage with the MDGs, begin to put plans in to action,
and increase their involvement as a key stakeholder group in the
achievement of the MDGs,
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