Sustainable Development Goals need more quantifiable targets to succeed – report

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will struggle to achieve their stated policy objectives without clearer, more quantifiable targets.

This is contained in key findings of a new report which provides a scientific critique of the SDGs, focusing on the targets under the 17 goals which are intended to guide and define the global development agenda from 2015 to 2030, following on from the Millennium Development Goals.

The report, coordinated by the International Council for Science (ICSU) and the International Social Science Council (ISSU), is timed for publication in advance of the first significant UN meeting of the year on SDGs which starts Feb 17.

It says that of the 169 targets beneath the 17 draft goals,  29% are robust, while 54 % need more work and 17% are weak or non-essential.

The report is the work of 40 leading researchers in a range of fields including epidemiology, economics and climate research.

The authors find that overall the SDGs offer a “major improvement” over their predecessors, the Millennium Development Goals.

However, the targets suffer from repetition, a lack of integration, and rely too much on vague, qualitative language rather than hard, measurable, time-bound, quantitative targets.

For example, on sustainable consumption and production, while the goal is essential, “targets appear too ambitious to be fulfilled.” And on inequality, the proposed targets are “relevant but inadequately developed. Most are framed as activities rather than endpoints.”

Action 2015 momentum builds to end poverty and inequalities

Ghana needs to redouble efforts if the country is to achieve targets set in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The year 2015 marks the end of set targets of the MDGs, which test a country’s human rights’ credentials and values.

Non-governmental organizations want government to increase the momentum in poverty reduction, fight against climate, inequality and support services.

Abibimman Foundation and the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP-Ghana) are pushing the “Action 2015” of ensuring generations are able to lead good and dignified lives enriched with opportunity.

Though Ghana has showed its leadership capability in reducing extreme poverty by half ahead of 2015, a lot of people still live in poverty, observed Kenneth Nana Amoateng, Chief Executive Officer of Abibiman Foundation.

“If Government fails to take bold decisions to tackle poverty, climate change and inequality, am afraid the MDGs will not be achieved. Every government policy should have a lasting impact in addressing poverty. No excuse will be enough if Ghana fails to achieve the MDGs targets,” he said.

He believes government has the opportunity to chart a new course of equity, environmental sustainability, social justice and human rights enjoyment and dignity for all.

“There should be a radical demonstration of will power and commitment to fight poverty, inequality and make the MDGs a reality. Climate change drives poverty, vulnerability and inequality that disproportionately affects women, children, vulnerable communities and nations that are the least responsible for the crisis”, said Nana Amoateng.

He has also called for a strict regulation with usage of land as the issue of land for farming has become a major problem for farmers in recent times.

“Land meant for farming must be solely used for that purpose. It is sad that some lands which should be used for farming are now being used estate development,” he emphasised.

Governments must also guarantee food sovereignty by investing in small-scale sustainable agriculture and enact and fully implement laws that protect women, children and people of different sexual orientation from discrimination.

The NGOs are also demanding just governance, transparency and accountability at both the public and private sectors of the State, while acknowledging that the need for civil society live up to these tenets.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh 

Safe blood transfusion key to achieving Millennium Development Health Goals

Global health leaders recently convened in Kinshasa, DRC, to reassess blood transfusion as an important element in helping to achieve the health goals adopted as part of the United Nations Millennium Declaration.

The goals included reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, and combating HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other diseases.

Health leaders at the symposium urged people on the continent to recognize World Blood Donor Day by learning about the life-saving nature of blood and blood products.

Launched by the World Health Organization, the purpose of this annual initiative is to increase awareness of blood transfusion as a life-saving therapy that affects millions of lives every year.

"Blood transfusion is central to the management of many life-threatening diseases, but severe blood shortages are being experienced throughout Africa. Women and children are the most affected, with 99 percent of maternal deaths occurring in developing countries and more than half in sub-Saharan Africa," said Stefan Boll, general manager of Diagnostics Products, Francophone and Southern Africa, Abbott. "Africa is also home to 15 of the 16 countries with an under-five mortality rate above 100 deaths per 1,000 live births."

Blood shortages can also contribute to an increased risk of HIV and hepatitis because an inadequate stock of blood forces a reliance on unsafe donors. Unsafe blood transfusions have contributed to the burden of HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa. 

Women and children account for a disproportionate number of HIV infections through unsafe blood as they are the main groups of patients receiving transfusions. For example, data from 30 African countries indicate that, in 2004, transfusion-transmissible infections were detected in 183,000 units of blood (9.8 percent) which were subsequently discarded.

World leaders called for government support, both technical and financial in developing sustainable models, which can meet the transfusion needs of their patient populations.

The experts at the meeting in Kinshasa showed a strong call to the public and private sectors on providing support in implementing new technologies for blood testing and blood processing to alleviate the risk associated with manual sample handling.

"There is an urgent need for global advocacy and coordinated efforts to focus on the impact safe blood transfusions could have across Africa," said Boll. "Abbott is committed to bringing our global knowledge and expertise in blood screening to Africa. With this group collaboration, we believe we can help to improve the quality and safety of blood products, making this life-saving therapy a possibility in this continent."

African civil society encouraged to continue climate justice struggle

The Senegalese government has hailed the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) for its excellent tool of environmental protection and urged them to continue the struggle for climate justice.

Ms. Penda Kante Thiam who represented the Senegalese Minister for Environment urged the African Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) under the auspices of PACJA to keep the faith and to be positive in the struggle for climate justice.

Officiating the opening of a five-day Post-Warsaw strategic meeting in Dakar, Ms. Penda Kante said, “We need you as much as you need us. I believe change starts now and starts with us. We definitely need to lead by example.”

PACJA Secretary General, Mithika Mwenda called on Civil Society Organizations in Africa to be visible at the national level, to be consistence with national aspirations and to work together with their governments to achieve their objectives.

“It remains the mandate of PACJA to provide an enabling environment for African Civil Societies to share experiences and networks so as to effectively contribute into the national and international climate change debates,” he added.

Mr. Mouhamet Lamine Ndiaye who represented Oxfam at the meeting said “Oxfam will be focusing on the linkages between climate change and its impact on agricultural production and productivity”.

“We are at Oxfam are hopeful that this meeting will conclude with a clear strategy on climate change in relations to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),” he charged.

The meeting has drawn 80 participants from 40 African countries with a mandate to construct a unified regional campaign strategy on climate justice.

Mr. Augustine Njamnshi, the PACJA Technical and Political Affairs Chairperson and Ms. Azeb Girmai of the Least Developed Countries Watch - Ethiopia while deliberating at this event said “Africa CSOs on climate justice needs massive and innovative mobilization strategy for advocacy and lobbying towards 2015”.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh/ in Dakar-Senegal

CSOs want climate justice prioritized under Post-2015 Development Agenda

Climate justice and sustainable management of the planet’s resources must be at the centre of the Post-2015 sustainable development framework, according to a declaration by the West African civil society organizations on climate change.

Developed countries are also being held to continue to commit and deliver on providing financial and technological resources to address mitigation and adaptation challenges in line with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.

CSO representatives from Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Togo, Mali, Cote D’Ivoire, Benin, Niger, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mauritania convened at the West Africa regional civil society capacity building workshop on Climate Change and Post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda in Lome, Togo.

The Post-2015 Development Agenda is the future global development framework to succeed the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals which ends in 2015.

The impacts of climate change continue to exert great economic, social, political and cultural pressures on households, working families, the poor, rural and urban dwellers. These pressures have a combined effect of reducing opportunities and potentials for attaining progress and prosperity in communities.

The civil society groups emphasized the need for Africa to begin to focus on generating its own funds in order to finance climate change programs and activities, whilst CSOs increased efforts to monitor and track climate change budget provisions and performance.

“West African CSOs should continue to engage their governments to find alternatives to financing climate change such as the adoption of the Financial Transaction Tax (FTT) and taxes on luxury imported goods and services”, said a Statement issued at the end of the meeting.

They also called for the promotion of women’s rights, gender equality and the empowerment of youth and vulnerable groups must be given top priority.

“We take advantage of the strengths and opportunities in new and emerging social media, to mobilize our people in both rural and urban areas, including the youth, women, artisans, in order to address climate change challenges affecting our people”.

It was also declared that African CSOs in collaboration with other members of the global climate justice movement work to intensify campaigns and research in order to strengthen international coordinated action on climate change.

The Lome meeting was organized by the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), in collaboration with the Fellowship of Christian Councils and Churches in West Africa (FECCIWA).

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh