ISLAMABAD, Jan 23: Pakistan is not expected to meet most of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, and this could have, economically, adverse affect on the region.

This was stated by deputy country director UNDP Pakistan, Jean-Luc Stalon, at a roundtable discussion on “Consultations on Post 2015 Development Agenda from a Pakistani Perspective” jointly organised by UNDP and Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), here on Wednesday.  Dr Vaqar deputy executive director, SDPI, moderated over the proceedings.

Millennium Development Goals: The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight international development goals that were officially established following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000, following the adoption of the United Nations Millennium Declaration.

All 193 United Nations member states and at least 23 international organisations have agreed to achieve these goals by the year 2015.

The goals are eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality and empowering women, reducing child mortality rates, improving maternal health, combating HIV/Aids, malaria, and other diseases, ensuring environmental sustainability and developing a global partnership for development.

Mr Stalon discussed persistent inequalities in Pakistan, commenting that GDP growth rate in the country between 2000-2012 averaged 4.5 per cent but inequalities during the same period increased to 0.27 to 0.29.

Mr Stalon also mentioned the regional disparities which were due to unequal resource distribution.

He also highlighted the lack of structural transformation and said “40 per cent of Pakistan’s workforce is agriculture, yet the sector produces only 21 per cent of the GDP”.

He argued that for growth to be inclusive, productivity in agriculture sector needs to be improved or labour force should be shifted to the manufacturing sector.

He also talked about environmental challenges in Pakistan and said that estimates suggest that environmental degradation costs the country at least 3 per cent of the GDP, with disproportionate impact upon the poor and most vulnerable.

About MDGs, Mr Stalon said that it was one of the most fantastic initiatives of the United Nations and would go a long way in reducing poverty in the region.

He said that there is significant achievement as the numbers of the world’s poor have decreased from 1.9 billion in 1990 to 1.3 billion in 2008, which means that 600 million people have been lifted out of poverty.

He said that while reviewing the MDGs, we come to the point that social development is an unfinished agenda and this is the time to look at key challenges the world today is facing and also how one can shape the future.

He said, post-2015, development paradigm must ensure inclusive social development, environmental sustainability, inclusive economic development and providing peace and security.

He said today around 1 billion people across the world are malnourished and more than 205 million are unemployed, whereas only 28 per cent of global population is covered by social protection systems.