Seminars
Compact Seminar in cooperation with The World Bank
5 and 6 December 2003 - IDPM
Reaching the Development Agenda laid out in the Millennium Development Goals
"We need a new global equilibrium, a new balance in the relationship between rich and poor nations" - James Wolfensohn, President of The World Bank Group said in his opening speech to the delegates from 184 countries attending the 2003 World Bank/IMF Annual Meetings in Dubai. He added: "This is essential not just for poverty reduction and prosperity-but for security and peace".
"Forces of imbalance" in the world: where one billion people own 80 percent of the GDP and where another billion, by contrast, struggle to survive on a $1 a day; a world where 2 billion people will be added to global population over the next 25 years - 95 percent of them in the poor countries - facing lives of poverty, unemployment and frustration with an "unfair" global system; where aid levels are the lowest they have been in 40 years - about $56 billion - but where rich countries spend $300 billion on agricultural subsidies and $600 billion on defense.
Given the imbalances, the question for various multilateral institutions, developmental and social economists/scientists, NGOs, and other stakeholders is "How are we going to achieve the developmental agenda set out in the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and endorsed by the Global Community?". The MDG calls for halving the proportion of people living under $1 a day, achieving universal primary education, reducing child mortality and improving maternal mortality, combating HIV/AIDS and many more by 2015.
During the course of the seminar we will look into the progress made so far, since the declaration of MDGs in September 2000, and challenges ahead as we move forward in the years to come particularly in light of achieving the MDG by 2015. The changing dynamics, as reflected during the recently concluded WTO discussions in Cancun where poor nations-representing more than 3 billion people-had refused to accept the trade proposals put forward by the rich countries.
Further Information
Enquiries about the seminar can be directed to:
Kellie Gallagher
Compact Seminar administrator
IDPM
Harold Hankins Building
Booth Street West
Manchester M13 9QH
e-mail: kellie.gallagher@manchester.ac.uk
tel: ++44(0)161 - 2757445