The Acting Spanish President, Jose Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, cited the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as the key focus of his governments development and cooperation policies, while giving his inaugural speech in the Spanish Parliament yesterday.
Under the heading “Deepening local democratic governance to eradicate poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals," the delegates to the Forum discussed potential ways of strengthening the role of Local Authorities both in the North and the South in the achievement of the MDGs.
The President of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP), Pedro Castro, and the UN Millennium Campaign Coordinator in Spain, Marina Navarro, signed today a collaboration agreement to reinforce the role of the Spanish Local Governments on the promotion of the MDGs.
This agreement contributes to the consolidation of the strategic alliance between the UN Millennium Campaign and the FEMP, and opens a new phase of joint work and closer collaboration.
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“The Danish Government has decided to take an international lead on MDG3. We want to make sure there is a stronger focus on gender and the empowerment of women all over the world because the world will not reach the Millennium Development Goals without putting a strong focus on women,” says Ulla Tørnæs, the Danish Minister for Development Cooperation.
The basic premise is that increased investment in women provides support to economic growth and poverty reduction.
8 Ways to Change the World: Local Authorities Guide
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Concrete proposals for Local Authorities both from the North and the South to promote the MDGs at the local level.
Release of the official development assistance provisional figures in 2007 shows an alarming situation. Development assistance from OECD countries fell 8.4% this last year. In 2007, 103.655 millions of dollars were earmarked; although it could seem a similar quantity to the 104.421 from 2006, it’s just equivalent to the inflate and exchange rate fixing 95.605 in constant terms in 2006.
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), including farmers, workers, women’s, faith-based and students’ groups and organizations, have issued a statement declaring that it is clear more than ever, that the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) are Europe’s means of locking-in the fundamentally unequal relationships between Africa and Europe. Viewed from Africa, this is nothing less than, “re-colonisation.”
CAPE TOWN – French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced a 2.5 billion euro (3.8 billion dollar) initiative on Thursday to finance nearly 2,000 companies and create 300,000 jobs in Africa over the next five years.
“I want France to contribute directly to the creation of African companies that will generate jobs,” he told a joint sitting of the South African parliament on the first leg of a two-day state visit.
Every minute a woman dies due to complications in pregnancy or
childbirth, adding up to half a million women dying every year. Another
10-15 million women suffer serious or long-lasting illnesses or
disabilities.
“No woman should die giving life,” said UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid.
“To have a healthy society, you have to have healthy mothers.”
In many countries, however, progress in maternal health has been slow.
In some, the situation has actually deteriorated over the last 20 years.
Last Week the Italian Millennium Campaign, and the top three Italian Trade Union—CGIL, CISL and UIL—signed a Memorandum of Understanding to support the Millennium Development Goals advocacy and mobilization activities in Lombardy, one of Italy biggest regions.
