Develop A Global Partnership for Development
Historically each country was responsible for its own
trade, monetary policies, and advancements in technology,
as well as research and development. Gradually the walls
have broken down with North American free trade agreements
and European countries adopting universal currencies. But
there is still a large divide between what industrialized
countries are able to do and what developing nations receive.
Specifically, poorer nations have little or no access to
things that are considered necessities in other countries.
One area that is of particular interest is the availability
and distribution of drugs and medicine. There appears to
be a double-edged sword at work here. Where pills for particular
illnesses cost pennies in the rest of the world, they are
still not available to reduce preventable deaths in developing
countries. Then, there are the drugs that are expensive
in North America, so they are cost-prohibitive in Africa
for example. Either way, people outside the industrialized
country or continent lose. In fact, most people do not benefit
from medical advancements either in the way of pharmaceuticals
or treatments.
Further, basic services such as hydro, telephone, and internet
are non-existent. While richer countries use these services
for entertainment purposes, poorer nations do not even have
access for emergencies. Countries landlocked by other countries
or by water have problems specific to them alone. Should
a neighboring nation go to war, where does that leave the
peaceful nation who borders it? And lastly, how do poorer
nations compete in the global economy?
All of these issues are everyone's problem and the world,
as a whole, must commit and contribute to improve the plight
of the less fortunate. Consequently, for the eighth and
final MDG, the following five targets were set.
Target 1: Address the special needs of least developed
countries, landlocked countries and small island developing
states
Target 2: Develop further an open, rule-based, predictable,
non-discriminatory trading and financial system
Target 3: Deal comprehensively with developing countries’
debt
Target 4: In cooperation with pharmaceutical companies,
provide access to affordable essential drugs in developing
countries
Target 5: In cooperation with the private sector,
make available benefits of new technologies, especially
information and communications
Moreover, when struggling nations are provided debt relief,
not only do the countries' governments benefit financially
from the release of the burden, but in many instances, they
are able to find ways to improve the circumstances of its
citizens. For example, according to the UN, “Tanzania used
resources saved through debt relief to abolish primary school
fees (in 2002), build 30,000 new classrooms and 1,000 schools,
and hire 18,000 additional trained teachers”. The ancillary
benefits are measurable, as more children were permitted
to attend school, a fact that in turn leads to children
being trained, and as a result having the opportunity to
emerge from poverty stricken lives.
And then there are other uses which are equally important.
“Mozambique used its debt service savings to vaccinate one
million children against tetanus, whooping cough and diphtheria,
to fight AIDS, and to build and electrify schools.” So while
one might wonder the point of helping with debt, there are
clearly deeply-rooted benefits as debt relief works to improving
several of the Millennium Development Goals.
In addition to debt management, modern day electronics and
communications are ways in which a global partnership will
help reduce poverty. Speaking specifically of the distribution
of cell phones in Bangladesh, the country has seen major
advancements due to the unwaivering efforts of Muhammad
Yunus, winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize. Best known
for his implementation of microcredits through the Grameen
Bank (which jointly won the Peace Prize), he states on his
personal website that he was encouraged “to create a cell-phone
company called Grameen Phone. They brought phones to the
villages of Bangladesh and gave loans to the poor women
to buy themselves
cell-phones
to sell their service and make money. It became an instant
success”. Incredibly at the end of the year 2007, Grameen
Phone boasted sixteen and half a million customers, over
two hundred thousand of which were disadvantaged rural women
who now make a living as operators due to the Village
Phone Program.
Footnote: Targets obtained from United Nations website