Meeting the millennium development goals’ targets: Proposed UN global governance framework to confront challenges of the 21st Century.

Abstract

Drawing on existing literature on governance and MDGs, the paper seeks to illuminate the dismal progress towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals’ (MDGs) targets, with almost two-thirds of the target period gone by, since the targets were set by 189 member states of the UN in 2000. The urge to meet the targets appears stronger today, as can evidently be noted by the concern world leaders continue to express in the face of increasing levels of poverty in many parts of the world. The paper identifies poor governance, characterized by weak governing institutions, poor leadership and undemocratic tendencies as the main causes of limited progress towards the achievement of the MDGs in developing countries. Sub-Saharan African countries, from where most examples are drawn, bear the brunt of this phenomenon of poor governance. The paper proposes a global governance framework under the mandate of the UN. It notes that, to avoid a repeat of past failures, there is need for a new UN Charter which empowers the world body, and effectively brings on board all independent states, as well as development partners such as the World Bank and the IMF. The paper concludes by noting that not until such a structure is adopted and implemented will the economic reform initiatives in developing countries have any meaningful impact in terms of elimination of poverty and all its attendant consequences.

KEYWORDS: Millennium development goals (MDGs), globalization, governance, United Nations, Uganda