There is palpable progress on the MDGs – enough to justify a more upbeat mood than in the past. The numbers do not tell the whole story. Case after case shows that the MDGs are perfectly doable if there is enough political will and if governments exercise true leadership. By increasing social investments by just a fraction of GDP, even some of the poorest countries were able to provide free primary education and other essential services. It is the job of parliamentarians to make sure that the right decisions are made and followed up on.
Aid is important to the success of the MDGs… [but] must be more effective. There are still countless stories of waste and expensive overheads. Excessive politicy conditionality remains an issue in many countries. More aid should be in the form of budget support. Internal resources are more important [than aid and] good governance remains key to the success of the MDGs. Corruption…continues to divert development funds away, undermining confidence in the institutions by both citizens and donors. South-South cooperation can also help achieve the MDGs. As more and more countries transition from developing to developed, they should share their experiences and practices with other developing countries in the region.
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