Statement by Mr Carlos Lopes UN under- secretary-general and executive secretary of ECA : Africa regional conference on population and development

Abstract

Africa needs to insist the way MDGs were measured did not give enough attention to the effort level. Reducing poverty in Paraguay by half is not the same as in Niger. It is a statistical overstretch to do these comparisons about who meets or not universal targets. Measured by effort out of the 20 best MDG performers, 15 are African. This includes gains in education, maternal health or child mortality. It is significant. Even though Africa starts from a low end one should reward the effort of those that have run the race without the healthy three meals a day, barefooted.