Jordan a success story in Millennium Development Goals

By Khalid Neimat

AMMAN – Jordan is considered a success story in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and will report on its achievements at a related UN summit this month, an official said Monday.

“Jordan is taking part in this summit to provide an example of success as the Kingdom is considered among the leading nations in achievement of the MDGs,” Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation Secretary General Saleh Kharabsheh said in a press conference yesterday.

The UN Millennium Summit of 2000 set eight MDGs, which all 192 UN member states and numerous international organisations agreed to achieve by the year 2015.

The goals include eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality, ensuring environmental sustainability and combating child mortality as well as deadly diseases such as malaria and AIDS.

The upcoming summit, scheduled for September 20-22, will launch the 2010 MDGs Report, which will document the stories of countries that have been successful in achieving the MDGs, as well as the challenges facing nations in years to come before they can claim progress, the ministry said in a statement.

The summit will also discuss the impact of the global financial crisis and the subsequent global economic slowdown on the MDGs, he said.

“Jordan, like other nations participating in the summit, will look into alternatives to deal with the effect of the economic crisis on its national economy and people,” Kharabsheh said.

He added that the ministry will launch a media campaign to enhance public awareness of the MDGs in preparation for the summit.

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