'If only the poor could eat reports'<\/p>\n
Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Asian giant China flaunted its progress in poverty alleviation in
\na report that highlighted the "flawless" collaboration between
\nits government and social elements, self-reliance and coordinated
\ndevelopment programs.<\/p>\n
The report, read out by Chinese Minister of State Council
\nLeading Group, Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, Liu
\nJian, said the number of people living in poverty had been
\nreduced from 250 million to 26.1 million between 1978 and 2004,
\nwith the poverty incidence rate declining from 30 percent to less
\nthan 3 percent.<\/p>\n
Indonesia appeared anxious to gain similar recognition. So a
\nreport delivered by Minister of Trade Mari E. Pangestu said her
\ngovernment had prioritized poverty reduction by ensuring
\nsustainable natural resources management and promoting the
\ndevelopment of rural areas.<\/p>\n
A total of 25 countries conveyed reports on their commitments
\nto the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) meeting here on
\nWednesday, the first stage of a three-day Regional Ministerial
\nMeeting on the MDGs in Asia and Pacific as a preparation for
\nSeptember's World Summit in New York.<\/p>\n
Glowing figures filled the reports, as well as high-octane
\nconfidence and calls for the regional pooling of resources and
\ncooperation to achieve all of the goals.<\/p>\n
"But are the delegations taking this seriously? Report after
\nreport. It's like they are only concerned with figures but not
\nthe root issues. If only the poor could eat reports," Hira
\nJhamtani from the Malaysia-based Third World Network (TWN) said.<\/p>\n
She said none of the delegations had tried in their reports to
\nseek the answers to long-standing, yet fundamental, questions,
\nsuch as the basic causes of poverty, the chances of creating a
\nfairer world trading system, or the sustainability of the
\nprogress achieved to date.<\/p>\n
Hira argued that goal eight of the MDGs -- developing a global
\npartnership for development -- would not be dealt with at all
\nduring the conference.<\/p>\n
"They say that this goal is just for the developed countries
\nto ponder. But that's wrong. This goal is in fact the key to
\nachieving the other seven goals. They don't talk about creating
\nconcrete, equal partnerships among all nations or corporate
\nresponsibility to help preserve the environment," she said.<\/p>\n
Roy Cabonegro from the Philippines' Social Watch organization
\nshared the frustration, saying the issues of poverty and trade
\ninjustice could not be resolved without properly revising the
\nprevailing development paradigm, which he claimed only benefited
\nthe well-off countries.<\/p>\n
There were other questions hanging over the reports, said the
\nactivists, as they mostly depicted the macro conditions in a
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
Coordinator of the Civil Society Network for the MDGs in
\nIndonesia, Titik Hartini, said a United Nations Development
\nProgram (UNDP) report showed that countries in the Asia-Pacific
\nregion were doing well with the first three goals, but not with
\nthe next four.<\/p>\n
There is no mention at all of goal eight, she added.<\/p>\n
"There are questions that are still being left unanswered
\ndespite these macro figures, including the sustainability of the
\nprogress achieved to date. Please note that this report portrays
\nthe macro position. So, if the well-off countries in the region
\nare not doing well with goals four to seven, what do you think is
\nhappening in the poor ones?" she said. More stories on Page 3<\/p>",
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