Stand Up And Take Action- MDG Countdown

10 Days of Action: Countdown to Commitments

June 18th - Take action on the MDGs
http://tendays.socialwatch.org/

The effects of the financial and economic crises have a very real human face as they threaten to wipe away much of the progress made in developing counties toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a historic effort to end extreme poverty and hunger, improve access to education and health care, empower women, protect the environment, and create a partnership between rich and poor countries to achieve these goals by 2015.

New estimates suggest the fight against extreme poverty could be put back by up to three years, with the number of people being forced to live on less than $1 a day growing by millions every week. It is estimated that decreased economic growth in poor countries will force an additional 53 million people to live on less than $2 a day this year, a rise in absolute poverty that is additional to the$ 130-155 million increase in 2008 caused by soaring food and fuel prices.

People living in poverty face a double crisis; high costs of basic necessities on which they spend the majority of their income, and economic stagnation that threatens their livelihoods. Also, it is estimated that in 2008, higher food prices may have increased the number of children suffering permanent cognitive and physical injury due to malnutrition by 44 million. Despite these challenges, the goals are within reach at the global level. Even in the very poorer countries, great advances can be made—if there is strong political commitment and sufficient and sustained funding.

What needs to be done? The United Nations Millennium Campaign (UNMC) supports additional resources to assist developing countries hit hard by the crisis, but emphasizes that the current aid architecture is ill-equipped to respond to the demands of the crisis.

Commitments made at the recent G-20 for Aid for Trade, debt relief, and the Gleneagles commitments, especially to Sub-Saharan Africa, have been re-affirmed time and time again. This time promises must be kept. What the poorest countries need is ODA grant money and not loans that can create a new debt crisis and policy space to achieve the MDGs in consultation with their citizens. Finally, governments of poor countries now have an even greater responsibility to keep their side of the bargain, with the additional resources that could be available, and systematically focus on delivering the MDGs particularly to their poorest citizens. With just six years left to the 2015 deadline for the achievement of the Goals, we cannot afford to let the current economic climate threatens to undo and possibly even reverse the very significant gains that have been made towards achieving the MDGs. The achievement of the MDGs must remain a priority on the global political and public agenda.

Take Action: The UN Millennium Campaign, the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP), and many other like-minded groups are joining forces with millions of people around the world to Stand Up and Take Action to show their support for the fight against poverty and the achievement of the MDGs. In this environment, Stand Up is a vital opportunity to send a clear and urgent message to world leaders and decision makers and raise the political stakes.

Stand Up, Take Action, End Poverty Now! Is a three day mobilization from October 16-18, 2009 to send a loud and clear message from citizens to leaders of rich and poor countries to take urgent action to achieve the MDGs. And once again break the Guinness World Record. Participants must register their event at www.standagainstpoverty.org before the start of the mobilization and then to report their numbers after they have taken part. Numbers will be counted and verified by Guinness World Records. To learn more and download Stand Up materials and instructions, please visit www.standagainstpoverty.org.