THE second annual Tracking development and governance in the Pacific report has found that the Pacific region is seriously off track to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.
The report monitors progress towards the MDGs in the region and
assesses the performance of Pacific island countries and development
partners.
The report focuses on the Pacific island countries
of Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Fiji,
Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, PNG, Samoa, Solomon
Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
It includes Timor-Leste—in this case as a reference country—because it shares many characteristics of Pacific countries.
While
some countries in the Pacific have made good progress against, and even
achieved some MDG targets, the same cannot be said of the entire region.
Solomon
Islands and Vanuatu have more than halved their rates of malaria
infection between 2003 and 2008 showing that quick development gains
are possible with strong commitments from government and development
partners.
However, around 400,000 children across the region are still not making it into a primary school.
Around
64 out of every 1,000 children in the region are still dying before the
age of five. This is despite significant investments by development
partners.
The report concludes that a new development framework
is required to ensure the Pacific keeps pace with better international
development practice.
Transparent and accountable use of all development resources is necessary to increase progress towards the MDGs.
Clear
and measurable commitments are required to improve coordination and
accelerate progress towards mutually agreed development outcomes.
The
Pacific Partnerships for Development commit Australia and Pacific
island countries to work together to address these challenges.
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