millennium development goals

Transcription

1 millennium development goals progress report by denmark 2005

2 Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark Danida 2005 Publisher: Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2, Asiatisk Plads DK-1448 København K Denmark Phone: Fax: um@um.dk Internet: Design Operate A/S Print: Schultz A/S Cover Photos: Jørgen Schytte The publication can be downloaded or ordered from: The text of this publication can be freely quoted ISBN: Print version: Internet version:

3 millennium development goals progress report by denmark 2005

4 introduction by ulla tørnæs, minister for development cooperation At the UN summit in September, the international community will assess how far we have progressed in implementing the commitments made by the Heads of State and Government at the Millennium Summit in September The agreements on development issues were later summarized by the UN Secretary General in the form of the Millennium Development Goals. The first and most important goal is to reduce by half the number of poor people by Ulla Tørnæs, Minister for Development Cooperation We seem to have passed the exam. We are likely to halve the number of poor. We will also reduce child mortality by the two-thirds as we promised. We will also halve the number of people without access to clean drinking water. This applies to many of the goals at the global level. But nevertheless there are reasons for self-examination. We will pass only because India and China, the two most populous countries in the world, have experienced disproportionately large-scale development. This, however, does not help the many countries in sub-saharan Africa where we do not find an equally positive development and where only extraordinary and resolute efforts by the international community can turn the tide. The figures speak for themselves. Four out of ten Africans do not have enough to eat. Only six out of ten African girls attend school. 28 million people in sub-saharan Africa are infected with HIV/AIDS. One million African children will die from malaria this year alone. In his report to the September Summit, the UN Secretary General has reiterated that the developing countries must assume responsibility for their own development. This means improving governance, fighting corruption, creating an enabling business environment, and mobilising domestic resources for investment in national development strategies. On the other hand, the rich countries, who have not already done so, must commit to reaching the goal of 0.7 percent of GNP for development by

5 The Danish Government supports the recommendations of the Secretary General. Apart from Denmark, only four other countries live up to the UN s 0.7% target. And the Government has confirmed that Danish development assistance will not be lower than 0.8%. But other donor countries must contribute as well. For this reason it is especially welcome that constant pressure from Denmark to set a new, ambitious EU target for the development assistance was met with success at the meeting of the EU development ministers on 24 May The EU members agreed on a declaration of intent to the effect that the EU as a whole will reach 0.56 % in 2010, and that the 15»old«EU Member States will achieve the UN target of 0.7% by At least half of the collective increase of EU development assistance will be provided to the countries in sub-saharan Africa. Without such extraordinary efforts in these countries in particular, it is unrealistic to imagine that they will achieve the Development Goals in time. The EU Agreement will hopefully inspire other countries to show the same willingness. This bodes well for real progress at the Summit. Money alone is not enough. At the Summit we should also look at the efficiency of international development assistance. Concrete goals must be established for the coordination and harmonisation of the donors development assistance procedures in accordance with the priorities of the recipient countries themselves. Equally, we must work to maximise the effects of other sources of financing - such as private remittances, foreign investments, debt reduction, micro credits and innovative financing methods. We must also complete the ongoing WTO talks with an outcome that ensures further opening of the rich countries markets to products from the developing countries. Both developing countries and donor countries report to the Summit on how they have implemented the commitments from the Millennium Summit. In 2003 Denmark published the first such report by a donor country. This was followed up in Other donor countries have now taken up this reporting challenge. Therefore it is with great pleasure that I now present the third Danish Millennium Development Goals Progress Report. It is my hope that the report will serve as a useful source of information about what Denmark has done and will do to achieve the MDGs, and that it will be received as a constructive contribution to the Summit this year. Ulla Tørnæs Minister for Development Cooperation 3

6 A boy in Benin enjoys that the village has been supplied with running water. Photo: Jørgen Schytte Working the fields in the Tete Region in Mozambique. Photo: Ernst Tobisch 4

7 millennium development goals indholdsfortegnelse table of contents introduction by the danish minister for development cooperation 2 the millennium development goals 6 Background and content, p. 6 danish development assistance 9 Scope, p. 9 Untying and harmonisation, p. 12 Poverty reduction, p. 14 Efficiency, p. 15 other sources of finance 18 Debt reduction, p. 19 Unofficial resource flows, p. 21 NGOs own financing, p. 21 integration of trade and development 22 Market access, p. 23 The private sector, p. 24 environment 26 Follow up to Johannesburg, p. 26 The Rio Conventions, p. 28 Energy and climate change, p. 30 ten years from the goal: danish priorities for the 2005 summit 32 Resources, and development in Africa, p. 34 Environment and climate, p. 39 Reproductive health and gender equality, p. 42 5

8 baggrund the millennium og indhold development goals the millennium development goals 1. Eradicate poverty and hunger 2. Achieve universal primary education 3. Promote gender equality and empower women 4. Reduce child mortality 5. Improve maternal health 6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases 7. Ensure environmental sustainability 8. Develop a global partnership for development background and content The Millennium Development Goals The eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) reflect the most far reaching global ambition to date. They set the goals for human development up to The goals are based on the United Nations Millennium Declaration, adopted in 2000 by the Heads of State and Government from a total of 189 Nations. Responsibility for achieving the goals Responsibility for achieving the first six goals rests with the developing countries. These countries must prioritise means and efforts for achieving the goals within their own poverty reduction strategies and programmes. The six goals are supported by the eighth goal on a global partnership for development. Responsibility for achieving the eighth goal rests with the industrialised countries, the donor countries, and commits us to assist the developing countries financially and technically in their efforts to achieve the first six goals. All countries are committed to the seventh goal on ensuring environmental stability. 6

9 Mountain landscape in Bhutan. Photo: Mikkel Østergaard A South African librarian with an inspiring message. Photo: Jørgen Schytte Progress Once a year the UN Secretary General reports on the progress made towards fulfilling the goals. Ten years from now the goals must be achieved. At the global summit in the United Nations Headquarters in New York September, the international community will take stock of what has been achieved so far. Countries are urged to report once a year on the steps taken to achieve the goals. The national progress reports serve many purposes: They serve to engage political decision makers and contribute to mobilising people, local communities and the media. At the same time the report serves as a basis for comparing all donor assistance to the developing countries, contributing to achieving the Millennium Development Goals. This is the third Danish MDG progress report. The report focuses in particular on new initiatives taken in 2004, and should be seen as a continuation of the previous Goal 8 reports for 2002 and The three first sections of the report take stock of Denmark s fulfilment of Goal 8. Section 1 describes how Denmark is working to support the developing countries in achieving the first six goals by means of development assistance proper. Section 2 deals with other sources of financing contributing to development. Section 3 concerns other instruments supporting the endeavours of the developing countries in achieving the first six goals, in particular trade and market access. Section 4 covers Denmark s efforts to achieve the goal concerning environmental stability in both Denmark and the developing countries. Section 5 focuses on three priorities that the Danish Government is pursuing in preparation of the 2005 Summit in September: > Financing of development, especially in Africa > Efforts for a better environment and against climate changes > Gender equality and reproductive health, including the fight against HIV/AIDS. 7

10 the millennium development goals abbreviations AU The African Union CDM Clean Development Mechanism CFC s Chlorofluorocarbons CO2 Carbon dioxide CSD UN Commission on Sustainable Development DAC OECD s Development Assistance Committee EU European Union GEF Global Environment Facility GNI Gross national income GNP Gross national product HCFC Hydrochlorfluorocarbons HIPC Heavily Indebted Poor Countries ICPD International Conference on Population and Development IMF International Monetary Fund IUCN The World Conservation Union LDC Least developed countries NAI The Nordic Africa Initiative NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organisation NGO Non-Governmental Organisation ODA Official development assistance OECD Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development OSCE Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe SRHR Sexual and reproductive health and rights UN United Nations UNEP United Nations Environment Programme USD American dollars WFP World Food Programme WTO World Trade Organisation 8

11 danish development assistance dansk bistand Danish ODA has a strong focus on poverty reduction. Children in a slum area in Leon, Nicaragua. Photo: Jørgen Schytte Danish development assistance still in the lead The UN goal for official development assistance from the developed countries is 0.7% of GNI. scope In 2004 Danish ODA reached 0.84% of GNI. This means that Denmark remains one of the countries that proportionately provides the most in development assistance, surpassed only by Norway, with 0.87%, and Luxembourg, with 0.85%. Other countries exceeding the UN target are Sweden (0.77%) and The Netherlands (0.74%). Danish development assistance increased by 3.5% between 2003 and This was partly due to India s extraordinary repayment of outstanding development loans of approximately DKK 500 million in The government has made a commitment that official development assistance in the coming years will not go below 0.8% of GNI. 9

12 danish development assistance indicators related to aid Net ODA as percentage of GNI 0,94 0,96 1,06 0,96 0,84 0,84 Net ODA to LDCs as a percentage of GNI 0,37 0,3 0,34 0,33 0,32 - Percentage of bilateral ODA to social services (basic education, health care, - 9,6 4,0 8,7 14,3 - nutrition, safe water and sanitation) * Percentage of ODA to landlocked countries 16,6 18,3 19,0 18,6 20,2 - Percentage of ODA to small island developing states 1,4 1,4 0,9 0,9 0,8 - Proportion of multilateral ODA (% of total net ODA) 40,7 44,9 38,5 36,8 41,0 41,2 Percentage of bilateral aid that is untied - 61,3 80,5 82,1 71,5 - Sources: OECD. For 2004 OECD figures were not available at the time of preparation of this report, nor can most of them be calculated by Danida itself. * Calculated on a 2-year average basis. The OECD figures do not reflect the totality of Danish assistance to basic social sectors, since the sector programmes are reported to the OECD as multipurpose programmes. Applying the same definition of social sector as used by the OECD, and incorporating the Danish sector programmes, Danish assistance to the social sectors comprises from 19% to 25% during the period. 10

13 Men fishing at Doutou, Benin. Photo: Jørgen Schytte Pressure for higher EU commitment Denmark wants all donor countries to commit to the target of granting 0.7% of GNI in official development assistance. At present only four EU Member States have achieved or exceed the 0.7% target. A further six EU countries have presented plans for achieving the target by 2015 at the latest. The EU as a whole is expected to reach 0.42% in 2006, which exceeds the 0.39% target adopted at the meeting of the European Council in Barcelona in In 2003 the EU s share of global development assistance totalled 54%. As an important part of the effort in making all donor countries commit to the UN s 0.7 % target, Denmark has been exerting pressure for a higher EU commitment prior to the UN Summit in These efforts were met with success at the meeting of the EU development ministers on 24 May The EU members agreed on a declaration of intent to the effect that the EU collectively will achieve 0.56 % in 2010, and that the 15»old«EU Member States will fulfil the UN target of 0.7% in In addition, at least half of the collective increase of EU development assistance will be given to the countries in sub-saharan Africa. 11

14 danish development assistance untying and harmonisation Untying Untying development assistance implies no longer requiring the assistance to be used for the purchase of donor country products or services. Untying is an important element in the efforts to improve the quality and efficiency of development assistance. At the international level, Denmark is working actively for untying in accordance with OECD/DAC and for the untying of EU assistance. Denmark has decided to untie Danish food aid over four years. Food aid will be fully untied in Denmark s food aid is channelled through the World Food Programme (WFP). The total Danish contribution to the WFP totals DKK million a year, of which DKK 160 million goes to WFP s development activities. So far Danish assistance through the WFP has by and large been tied to the purchase of split peas, rapeseed oil and a pea/wheat mixture from Denmark. With the decision to untying Danish assistance the WFP will be able to make use of the Danish contribution to purchase the best and cheapest products to meet the needs of recipient countries. With the recent decision to also untie food aid, all parts of Denmark s bilateral and multilateral development assistance will now be untied. Harmonisation Harmonisation is efforts to coordinate all donors assistance and to align it to the recipient country s political objectives and administrative procedures. In 2004 efforts to increase donor harmonisation were strengthened in all Danish programme countries. An OECD/DAC study of harmonisation shows that that the harmonisation and alignment of Danish development assistance is compatible with that of like-minded donors. But it also shows that the Danish efforts vary from one country to the other. Thus, great challenges remain for Denmark and for the other donors to further harmonize and align development assistance with policies and procedures of recipient countries. In Tanzania, Zambia and Uganda a common country strategy between the programme country and the Nordic countries, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom was developed in Denmark is a key player in this cooperation. Common country strategies will serve to improve the efficiency of development assistance through greater ownership of the recipient country and a better division of labour between the donors. The work is expected to be completed by In 2003 Denmark together with six other like-minded donors (Finland, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom) approved a common plan of action for harmonisation. The action plan lists a number of joint activities that are to support harmonisation at country level. In 2004 this cooperation resulted in a joint procurement policy for development assistance cooperation and 12

15 A vendor selling fast food on a mainstreet in Acrra, Ghana. Photo: Jørgen Schytte joint guidelines for co-financing of projects and programmes. To this may be added better planning of joint evaluations. In addition, Denmark has played an active role to improve the coordination and harmonisation of development assistance in accordance with the agreement of the EU Member States reached in Barcelona in This was followed up in November 2004 when the foreign ministers of the EU approved a number of proposals for concrete EU cooperation at country level to improve the efficiency and quality of development cooperation. One of these activities is drawing up a common EU format for country strategies drawing on the concrete experience from Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. 13

16 danish development assistance poverty reduction A large part of Danish development assistance goes to the poorest countries More than 32% of total Danish development assistance, goes the least developed countries (2003). Denmark thereby provides far more than most other donors. All donors have committed themselves to the UN-target of granting a minimum of 0.15% of GNI to the least developed countries. The poverty reduction of Danish development assistance is also reflected in the fact that the greatest share of Danish bilateral assistance goes to sub-saharan Africa, where poverty is most severe and widespread. In 2004 development assistance to Africa totalled 58% of the geographically distributed bilateral development assistance. In 2004 the Danish government adopted a new Africa policy. This represents a further focus Danish assistance on the problems in Africa. The policy stipulates that 60 % of bilateral development assistance is to go to Africa. Denmark s contribution to poverty reduction in Africa is described in more detail in section 5. Poverty focus in the selection of programme countries Danish bilateral assistance is concentrated on long-term cooperation with 15 programme countries, all of which have been selected on the basis of the individual country s needs and development potential. This is in order to ensure the quality and efficiency of development cooperation. 56% of all bilateral assistance goes to these 15 countries. For poverty reduction to be efficient, Denmark requires the country to take responsibility for its own development by pursuing a povertyoriented policy based on good governance, democracy and human rights. Within the individual programme country Denmark targets her contributions to poverty reduction. First and foremost, development assistance is in line with the country s own poverty reduction strategy. Secondly, development cooperation is concentrated on sectors directly contributing to poverty reduction or to increasing the country s economic growth, which in the long run is crucial for sustainable poverty reduction. In 2004 approximately 23% of bilateral assistance went to the social sectors: health, education, and water and sanitation. Sector programmes support national capacity building The major part of Danish bilateral assistance is sector programme support or budget support. This supports ownership of the programme country and its responsibility for poverty reduction, and at the same time supports national capacity building. In % of bilateral assistance went to 54 long-term sector programmes. In addition to long-term development cooperation in 15 programme countries, Denmark supports poverty oriented stability and reconstruction efforts in a number of vulnerable countries including Afghanistan, Gaza/West Bank, Iraq and Sudan. 14

17 A shopkeeper in Zambia has closed his door. Photo: Thomas Marott Gipsy camp in Bangladesh. Photo: Jørgen Schytte Denmark works strategically with the efficiency of development assistance Increasing efficiency in both bilateral and multilateral development cooperation has been a key issue for the Danish government since it took office in efficiency The demand concerning efficient development cooperation also applies to the internal organisation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Danida). Following the decentralisation of bilateral assistance in 2003, preparations were made for the decentralisation of responsibility for the administration of multilateral assistance to the Missions in Washington, New York, Rome and Geneva from 1 January The aim is to strengthen the dialogue with the multilateral organisations and improve the interaction with the Danish Missions in the developing countries. Quality assurance of bilateral assistance The so-called Performance Reviews are the key tool for quality assurance in relation to bilateral assistance. Every year an extensive scrutiny is carried out of the embassies administration of development assistance in the most important programme countries. Once a year embassies undertake an evaluation of the outcomes of cooperation with the programme countries on the basis of the targets set and outcomes achieved. The outcomes of the individual programmes are evaluated and reported in connection with programme analyses, which are often carried out together with other donors. Finally, a so-called Annual Business Plan is agreed between the Head of the individual embassy and the top management of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, setting specific objectives and indicators for activities and outcomes. The plan forms the basis of the annual reporting. 15

18 Teacher at the college of education in Mungo, Zambia. Photo: Thomas Marott danish development assistance Quality assurance of multilateral assistance Four key tools are set up in relation to multilateral assistance. The most important being organisation strategies with accompanying annual action plans. In addition, the embassies in key recipient countries complete an evaluation form for each of the major multilateral organisations. The multilateral missions and departments in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs assess the multilateral organisations activities. Finally, Denmark cooperates with a number of other donors in joint evaluations of selected multilateral organisations. Employing a new tool, Denmark has taken the initiative to preparing a concept for the implementation of joint evaluations among several bilateral donors of the multilateral organisations results measurement systems. This is to promote better reporting of the outcomes achieved, directly based on the organisations own reporting. The tools and the results are described further in the Annual Performance Report 2004, which can be accessed at 16

19 external evaluations make development assistance more efficient What are the results of development assistance? Can concrete results of the efforts of many years be verified? Can we be more efficient? This is the key to evaluations that Danida initiates. By means of the evaluations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs collects experience and knowledge guiding future activities and making future development assistance more efficient. One good example is the evaluation of the district projects in Kenya in Makueni and Taita Taveta, which form part of the planning of the coming sector programmes for health and agriculture. Independent external consultants, who analyse the immediate and the more long-term outcomes and the sustainability of the development assistance activities, perform all Danida s evaluations. Thereby, the evaluations are distinct from the on-going internal monitoring in both scope and depth. Evaluations are increasingly performed with other donors and partners. For the recipient countries in particular it is a positive development that there will be fewer evaluations in all and thus a lighter administrative burden for the developing country in question, which, it goes without saying, must invest time and energy in participating in the evaluations. The evaluations will be more independent of the individual donors and the international expertise can be expected to strengthen the quality of the evaluations. In 2005 about half of Danida s evaluations will be in conjunctions with other donors and partners, several of them under Danish leadership. In the final analysis, therefore, the increasing number of joint international evaluations will also lead to making the development assistance more efficient. 17

20 other sources of financing other sources of financing indicators related to debt ) Debt forgiveness as percentage of ODA 1) 1,7 10,8 0,0 1,1 0,0 0,0 HIPC debt relief as percentage of net ODA 1) - - 1,2 1,7 0,4 1,5 Proportion of grants (% of total gross ODA 2) ) Source: OECD 2) Source: Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs 3) Preliminary figures In recognition of the fact that the rate of increase in development assistance is not sufficient for achieving the MDGs, Denmark is adopting a broad approach to the issue of financing. Denmark supports the maximization of other sources of financing such as foreign investments, debt reduction and innovative proposals for financing. Innovative financing proposals can be particularly beneficial for countries that at present do not grant 0.7% in development assistance. For example the British Chancellor of the Exchequer has proposed an international financing facility based on domestic government bonds; the revenue of which can be diverted to development assistance. This initiative can be a useful supplement to traditional state-financed development assistance and a step on the way to 0.7%. The prerequisite is, however, that such new sources of financing do not merely replace traditional government development assistance but lead to an overall increase in the assistance. 18

21 Photo: Thomas Marott Denmark supports the most heavily indebted countries having their debt reduced to a sustainable level. Already before the international debt initiative for the benefit of the highly indebted poor countries (the HIPC initiative), Denmark supported an active debt policy and also argued in favour of considering a reduction of debt to the multilateral institutions. At the end of the 1980s and the first half of the 1990s, Denmark contributed to a reduction of debts to the World Bank for several programme countries. Denmark was one of the first countries to support the HIPC initiative when it was launched in debt reduction Denmark supports the full implementation of the HIPC initiative. Denmark would also favour the HIPC countries being helped to grant debt reduction themselves on the favourable HIPC terms to other HIPC countries where they might have official claims. At the same time, however, Denmark is sceptical of any general multilateral debt reduction above and beyond the HIPC initiative as this would mean that some countries obtain more debt forgiveness than they need. In this way scarce development assistance resources would be diverted from countries needing it more. Denmark will therefore support multilateral debt forgiveness over and above HIPC being decided on the basis of a concrete assessment. In 1995 Denmark cancelled all bilateral ODA loans to the least developed countries. 19

22 other sources of financing indicators related to non-official resource flows Volume of remittances by migrants (USD million) Volume of private Danish investments in developing countries (USD million)* Danish private investments in developing countries as percentage of GNI* 0,05 0,05 0,08 0,29 0,21 Grants by private voluntary organisations (NGOs/foundations) as a percentage of GNI** 0,02 0,02 0,02 0,03 - Source: IMF, OECD (Remittances: Statistics Denmark) * Calculated on a 3-year average basis , , , and ** Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the basis of information from NGOs. ngos own financing Organisation Private contributions 2003 Share of private contributions in relation to total revenue 2003 Private contributions 2004 Share of private contributions in relation to total revenue 2004 DanChurchAid % % Danish Red Cross * % % Ibis * % % Save the Children Denmark % % Care Denmark % % Total % % * Figures for 2004 are preliminary 20

23 Increase the development effect of unofficial remittances to the developing countries from people working outside their home countries forms part of the debate about the connection between migration and development. In this context there is discussion of how the transfer of money can be eased, partly to reduce the costs involved in remittances and partly to promote remittance to more remote areas where the poorer population groups often live. Efforts to ease remittances must be implemented with consideration for the increased control of money flows imposed internationally to stem the funding of international terrorism. unofficial resource flows It is also important to be aware of the different types of remittances: Remittances for the upkeep of the family, remittances for common projects in the local community, and remittances to investment in the home country. These remittances can contribute in different ways in a development context. Denmark will initiate a more detailed study of the volume of remittances from Denmark to the developing countries. The study is to uncover, among other things, the countries to which the remittances are primarily made Danish NGOs play a considerable role in the implementation of Danish development assistance. In 2004 total government expenditure for bilateral NGO assistance amounted to DKK million, corresponding to approximately 8.4% of total ODA. Government allocations to humanitarian assistance through the NGOs amounted to a total of DKK million, corresponding to approximately 34.2% of total humanitarian assistance and 2.9% of total ODA. ngos own financing The Government does not require NGOs to contribute financially to their projects. Nonetheless, in reality NGOs make a significant contribution to development projects and to humanitarian activities. In the case of the smaller NGOs, this takes place in the form of voluntary work combined with project and information activities. Several of the larger NGOs fund-raise and collect membership fees. Increasingly several of them are attempting to increase the proportion of privately raised funds in relation to government financing. At the same time attempts are being made to access funds from international donors, including the EU. In 2004 the five NGOs that have framework agreements with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and who administer a substantial share of NGO assistance raised additional revenues amounting to DKK 277 million corresponding to approximately 25% of their total turnover. 21

24 integration of trade and development integration of trade and development Girl selling eggs at a market in Pokhara, Nepal. Photo: Jørgen Schytte Boy selling fish at a market in Mozambique. Photo: Jørgen Schytte Integrating trade and development is crucial. In 2004/2005 a new, ambitious strategy for Trade, Growth and Development was produced. The objective is to ensure that trade and development policy interact with the aim of abolishing national and international barriers to foreign trade, growth and poverty reduction of the poorest countries. There is no simple answer to strengthening increased productivity and production in the least developed countries. In the strategy on Trade and Development ( the Government identifies a number of priority areas: > Incorporation of trade in the developing countries poverty reduction strategies constituting the basis for sector policies, for example in relation to education and research in agricultural technology. > Better framework conditions for the business sector macro economics, legislation and public administration. > Strengthening the economic and financial infrastructure (roads, energy and water supply, communication and borrowing possibilities). > Improving product quality. 22

25 Through her EU membership, Denmark is actively pursuing EU s development friendly line of negotiation in the ongoing WTO talks the so-called»doha Round«. As a member of the EU, Denmark participates in the common trade and agricultural policy. Therefore, data on trade, relevant to this part of the reporting, will appear in the common EU report to the UN Summit in September Increased market access for agricultural products The Doha Round will have a decisive influence on world trade in the coming decade. Together with other reform friendly EU countries, Denmark will work to achieve the greatest possible market access for products from the developing countries not least for agricultural products. At the same time Denmark is working to phase out the industrialised countries trade distorting agricultural subsidy. market access To improve market access for the developing countries, Denmark is working for: > The reduction or removal of tariff rates of the developed countries, including»particularly high tariffs«(over 15%) and»high tariffs«(over 10%) that often harm the export interests of developing countries. > Abolition of tariff escalation (tariff rates increase according to the degree of processing of the product) in order to increase the developing countries incentive to establish a more advanced production, which creates greater wealth. > Reduction of tariff rates and improved quota conditions between developing countries to promote south-south trade. > Maintaining existing possibilities for market access. > Tariff and quota free access for the least developed countries to other WTO countries markets and expansion of the scheme to cover all poor developing countries. Multilaterally, Denmark has earmarked DKK 140 million over a three-year period ( ) to support activities in the field of trade and development to strengthen the capacity of the developing countries to benefit from increased market access under the regional and international trade agreements. At the initiative of Denmark the five Nordic countries and 19 African countries, as part of the Nordic Africa Initiative (NAI), participated in a successful ministerial conference in Tanzania in January 2005 with the purpose of increasing the understanding of the way in which African interests can be taken into account by their active and constructive participation in the Doha Development Round. 23

26 integration of trade and development the business sector programme in ghana It is often difficult or very expensive for small enterprises to borrow through local banks. With Danish assistance, more than 1,000 small enterprises have taken loans in the past year to establish and strengthen their areas of business. Banks have received technical assistance to manage a portfolio with small borrowers, and to safeguard the development effect, it has been necessary to set up guidelines for the lending operations. Bearing in mind the effect on employment, the credit facilities should preferably be placed at the disposal of enterprises with a high volume of manufacturing. And with the objective of achieving greater distribution of Ghanesian production and export and thereby greater security an attempt is made to cater for enterprises outside the traditional sectors of cacao, gold and lumber. This spreads the risk of market fluctuations linked to dependency on only a few export products. And new export potentials are being cultivated. More poor countries should have free access to EU markets The EU is African countries most important trade partner, and EU policies will be a dominating factor for Africa s economic growth and development for many years to come. The EU must do more to coordinate trade policy and development assistance. With the»everything-but-arms«trade agreement, the least developed countries maintain free access to the EU market (with the exception of sugar, rice and bananas, where there are long transition schemes). Denmark is actively working to extend the»everything-but-arms«agreement to cover a larger group of poor countries, and to ensure access to EU markets for a greater number of years without any requirement for reciprocity in the trade agreement. the private sector Running a business must be profitable The development of the private sector is the key to growth. This is why, Denmark through the business sector programme is working to improve conditions for the business sector, not least in Africa. As donor coordinator on trade in Ghana during the past two years, Denmark has established a good cooperation with the government, the private sector and other donors on the formulation of trade policy and the priorities for trade related support to Ghana. 24

27 A group of unemployed men hope to get a job unloading tuna fish. Hout Bay, South Africa. Photo: Jørgen Schytte It should be more profitable to run a business, not least for small and medium-sized enterprises. One important precondition is political and macroeconomic stability. This reduces the risks involved in investment both domestic and foreign direct investments. Increased efficiency in the public administration and reducing corruption are equally important for reducing the costs for the private sector. Strengthening private ownership including women s rights to property and land are absolutely crucial to growth and trade. The possibilities of taking loans for productive investments are also extremely limited today in most African countries. Access to micro credits and access by small and medium-sized enterprises to productive investment capital are necessary for taking new initiatives or expanding existing ones. 25

28 environment environment Lake Naguro in Kenya. Photo: Jørgen Schytte Goal 7 commits all states to work for a sustainable environment. This section examines central aspects of the domestic efforts to achieve this goal. Denmark s environmental efforts in development assistance and in international environmental cooperation will be strengthened further over the next years. It is the intention of the Government to make environment the greatest thematic effort in our development cooperation from Environment is one of the three prioritised themes for Denmark up to the 2005 Summit. Read more about this in section 5. follow up to johannesburg The goals from Johannesburg supplement and elaborate on Goal 7 Danish efforts to achieve MDG 7 are combined with efforts to achieve the goals established at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in The Johannesburg goals supplement and elaborate on MDG 7. At national level the government has embarked on implementing Denmark s strategy for sustainable development, presented at the Johannesburg Summit. 26

29 In 2004 a plan of action was developed for Denmark s follow up to the Johannesburg Summit. The plan of action focuses on development cooperation and cooperation in international organisations. Among the overriding objectives of the plan are: > Integrating the follow up to the major UN conferences, based on the MDGs as the general framework, and with the Commission for Sustainable Development (CSD) contributing to this integration. > Integrating environmental issues in the poverty reduction strategies of developing countries and in bilateral and multilateral development cooperation. > Strengthening international environmental governance, including closer cooperation between multilateral environment agreements, and enhancing the capacity of developing countries to implement the agreements. Complementary to the plan of action, a strategy for Denmark s environmental cooperation with the developing countries has been drawn up. The strategy sets out goals and activities for bilateral and multilateral efforts, cf. section 5. Many environmental problems are cross-boundary One of the major objectives of Danish multilateral environmental efforts is to assist the developing countries in alleviating environmental problems of global significance. The focus is on efforts to combat climate changes, as well as on depletion of the ozone layer, cross-boundary air, fresh water and marine pollution, deforestation, and the loss of biodiversity. Inter alia, contributions are provided to the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the UN s Environment Programme (UNEP), The World Conservation Union (IUCN), as earmarked contributions to the World Bank, and by means of regional efforts. This is in addition to integrating environmental concerns in other policies/sectors, where the EU and the World Bank plays a central role. Danish bilateral cooperation consists of environment sector programmes in six countries/regions (Bhutan, Bolivia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Egypt and Central America) and special environmental assistance in 11 countries (Cambodia, Indonesia, Kenya, China, Mozambique, Malaysia, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand, Vietnam and Zambia). The environmental cooperation with Kenya, China and Indonesia will commence with minor programmes in In addition work is on track to integrate environmental concerns in other sector efforts in the programme countries, and incorporate sustainable development and environmental concerns in the countries poverty reduction strategies. The Danish environmental effort in Indonesia was brought forward and expanded as part of the follow up to the Tsunami in December

30 With this sunpowered satellite dish you can cook rice in four hours. Denmark has supported a project in South Africa that aims at inspiring the locals to act towards a more sustainable city. Photo: Jørgen Schytte environment the rio conventions Danish assistance to implement the Rio conventions In 2005 Denmark and the other OECD countries will report on the share of bilateral development assistance that supports the implementation by the developing countries of the conventions that originated in the Rio conference on environment and development in 1992, on biodiversity, climate, and desertification. The donors have also agreed to carry out a retrospective calculation for The Danish figures are based on actual allocations for the period This covers both projects with the primary objective of supporting one of the Rio conventions (»Would the activity have been implemented without this objective?«), and projects where this is an important objective but not the main objective. Through these activities Denmark supports the developing countries implementation of the conventions through a long series of projects in areas such as energy, transport, forestry, agriculture, food security, waste management, industry, natural resources management, water resource management, waste water management, environmental education, environmental management, and urban environment. 28

31 The sum of the project portfolio launched in the period to support the Rio conventions is stipulated in the table below. denmark s bilateral support to the rio conventions (DKK million) Total 939, ,6 718, ,9 Forestry and environmental protection Since 1989 Denmark has had the objective of doubling the area covered by forest. This objective is clearly stated in the Danish National Forest Programme 2002, and repeated in the annotations to the 2004 Danish Forest Act. In addition, it is the aim that before % of the total forest cover should have natural and biological diversity as the primary operational objective. Denmark is protecting the most important habitat types including dunes, heath land, commons, bogs, meadows, salt meadows, lakes and watercourses etc. These habitat types cover approximately 9% of the area of the country. Partly overlapping with this is that 5% of the country is preserved to protect landscape and natural values and areas. Likewise, 8% of the area and 12% of the marine area fall within EU s nature protection directives (Natura 2000). In 2005 reports will be submitted on seven pilot projects aiming at the establishment of Danish national parks. indicators related to forestry Percentage of land area covered by forest Percentage of surface area protected to maintain biological diversity 1) Source: Forest & Landscape Denmark 2) Source: Danish Forest and Nature Agency ,5-11,

32 environment energy and climate change Denmark s energy consumption in relation to GNP fell by 12 % from 1990 to The major challenge ahead is to decouple energy consumption from economic growth. This will be achieved by reducing energy consumption in production, converting from coal to renewable energy sources, and the cost-effective use of energy, primarily using market instruments. With Denmark s ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, we have committed ourselves to reducing the total emission of greenhouse gases by 21% between 2008 and 2012 compared to emission levels in Achieving this goal in the most cost-effective manner constitutes a huge challenge. indicators for energy, CO 2 emissions and ozone depletion Energy consumption (kg oil equivalent) per $1 GDP 0,172 0,171 0,143 0,144 0,151 Emissions of CO2 (metric ton per capita) 10,30 11,62 9,96 10,11 11,02 Consumption of ozone-depleting CFCs (tons) 3.520* Source: Danish Energy Authority (energy consumption), Statistics Denmark (GNP and population), Danish Environmental Research Institute (emission of CO2) and Danish Environmental Protection Agency (consumption of CFC) * Data for 1989 have been used here, as the 1990 data are not available. Ever since the first Danish CO2 plan of action was adopted in 1990, several CO2 reducing policies and initiatives have been implemented. This includes measures to promote the efficient use of energy, increased use of CHP and electricity as well as renewable energy sources. To achieve the goal under the Kyoto Protocol in the most efficient manner, Denmark will make use of the protocol s flexible mechanisms as a supplement to present and future national activities in the area of climate. This means that Denmark, in its own CO2 account, can include CO2 reductions achieved abroad by virtue of Danish-financed projects abroad. Ozone-depleting gases As the table clearly shows, in practice Denmark has phased out the use of ozone-depleting CFC gases. The future challenge is therefore first and foremost to limit the use of other ozone-depleting substances such as HCFC, halons and methyl bromide, and prevent emissions to the atmosphere from equipment and materials at the end of their life. 30

33 A company in Bhutan producing raw materials for steel manufacturing has improved its environmental performance. Photo: Mikkel Østergaard In addition, Denmark will support efforts of the developing countries to phase out ozone-depleting substances. In the case of CFC gases, the challenge for the developed countries remains to phase out the few remaining legal uses in asthma sprays and laboratory equipment. Phasing-out of ozone-depleting substances in Denmark has been highly successful. This is due to the Montreal Protocol and to the positive attitude from the Danish public and industry, led by a common concern for the consequences of a depleted ozone layer. 31

34 ten years from the goal ten years from the goal AIDS is a serious threat to health and development in Africa. Young man beside an AIDS wall painting in Mozambique. Photo: Ernst Tobisch danish priorities for the 2005 summit At the UN Summit in New York (14 to 16 September 2005) the international community will assess progress on the implementation of the Millennium Declaration. The Declaration cements a broad approach to UN values and principles and commits the member nations to strengthened cooperation on peace, security and disarmament; development and eradication of poverty; environmental protection; human rights, democracy and good governance; protection of vulnerable groups; the special needs of Africa; and a more forceful UN. On the 21 March 2005 the UN Secretary General published his proposal for the 2005 Summit in the form of the report entitled»in Larger Freedom: Towards Development, Security and Human Rights for All«. The report has four major elements development, security, human rights, and UN reform and contains a number of recommendations for Heads of State and Government to consider at the 2005 Summit. 32

35 Danish preparations for the 2005 Summit are based on the fundamental belief in efficient multilateralism. Denmark supports the UN Secretary General s agenda to reform and modernise the UN to make the organisation an efficient instrument in the fight against global threats. The UN must build on a new concept of security that recognises poverty, diseases, and environmental degradation as global threats on a line with war, weapons of mass destruction, and terrorism. Denmark is working towards agreement In the process leading up to the Summit, Denmark is focusing on elements that can unite UN- member nations and ease any tensions that might exist over the Atlantic, between the countries of the North and the South, and between different cultures. In line with her emphasis on the link between security and development, Denmark supports the Secretary General s Summit proposals balancing development, security policy and human rights. The 2005 Summit presents a unique chance for the international community to intensify the fight against poverty in order to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Progress does not happen by itself and Denmark will continue actively to ensure that the 2005 Summit comes to represent a big step in the right direction. Against this background, and with the MDGs as the point of departure, Denmark s development policy priorities in connection with the 2005 Summit are as follows: > Financing the MDGs including new goals for global development assistance especially in Africa. > More efficient protection of our common environment and enhanced efforts against global warming. > Fundamental rights for women, promotion of sexual and reproductive health and rights, and intensification of the fight against HIV/AIDS. These three priorities will be examined independently in the following sections. 33

36 ten years from the goal financing the mdg s and development in africa In his report to the Summit, the UN Secretary General emphasises that the developing countries must take responsibility for their own development by improving governance, fighting corruption, creating an enabling business environment, and mobilising domestic resources for investment in national development strategies. The rich countries must commit themselves to granting more development assistance. The Secretary General proposes specifically that those countries that have not already done so should commit themselves to achieving the goal of 0.7 % of GNI for development before 2015, and, on the way to meeting this goal, achieve 0.5% in Taking as the point of departure the general Danish policy that all donor countries like Denmark should live up to the international objective of reaching 0.7% of GNP in development assistance, Denmark supports the Secretary General s recommendations, and is actively promoting this goal in the lead up to the Summit. At the meeting of EU development ministers on 24 May 2005 agreement was reached on a declaration of intent to the effect that the EU collectively will achieve 0.56 % in 2010, and that the 15»old«EU Member States will achieve the UN objective of 0.7% in This in part was due to continuous Danish pressure. Denmark is also working for results at the Summit leading to increased development assistance efficiency through concrete goals for coordination and harmonisation of the donors development assistance procedures in agreement with the procedures of the recipient countries. The development effects of other sources of financing such as private remittances, foreign investments, debt reduction, micro credits, and innovative methods of financing must also be maximised. Africa is lagging behind All international reports and analyses show a clear picture of the development in Africa. At the global level many of the MDGs will be achieved, but Africa will not achieve them if the present development continues. Large parts of Africa are lagging behind compared to the rest of the world when it comes to fulfilling the Millennium Development Goals. Despite the fact that fewer conflicts stand in way of development in Africa, compared to just a few years ago, and even though several countries are making serious efforts to reduce poverty, this is not enough to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Special efforts will be needed, first and foremost by the African countries themselves, but also by Africa s partners. Against this background, EU development ministers at their meeting on the 24 May 2005 decided that at least half of the collective increase of EU development assistance should be channelled to the countries of sub-saharan Africa. 34

37 Lively trading at a market in Accra, Ghana. Photo: Jørgen Schytte Denmark has formulated a comprehensive Africa strategy Denmark is making great efforts to ensure that Africa is not left behind in global development. Denmark will continue these efforts on all fronts in the years ahead. The most important milestone in the past year for Denmark s contribution to poverty reduction in Africa was the adoption of an Africa policy entitled»africa Development and Security«. This is the first time ever that Denmark has formulated a general, comprehensive policy for Africa. The Africa policy is available on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website The policy serves to strengthen Denmark s efforts in Africa by making Danish foreign, development, security, and trade policy interact in order that they mutually reinforce each other. Poverty reduction remains the main focus of Danish development assistance policy and has been placed in a larger context based on an analysis and wideranging debate on Africa that preceded the adoption of the policy. The major part of Danish bilateral development assistance goes to Africa As clearly stated in The Africa policy paper, Denmark will continue pay particular attention to sub-saharan Africa in her bilateral development assistance. In % of the geographically distributed bilateral assistance went to Africa. This amounted to just DKK 3.1 billion. Approximately DKK 2 billion went to projects and programmes in the 8 selected programme countries in sub-saharan Africa (Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia) as well as in Niger, South Africa and Eritrea. Additional assistance to Africa was channelled through regional organisations and programmes, personnel assistance, research assistance, assistance through NGOs, the special environment assistance, assistance through the African Development Bank, and activities tar- 35

38 ten years from the goal overview of sectors and priority areas for bilateral development assistance to the danish programme countries in sub-saharan africa Business dev. Energy Education Health Water and sanitation Transport Agriculture Good governance Budget support Environment Benin Burkina Faso Ghana Kenya Mozambique Tanzania Uganda Zambia 36

39 geted towards refugees and internally displaced persons in their region of origin, all amounting to approx. DKK 1 billion per year. Finally between 2005 and 2009 approx. DKK 100 million a year will go to development assistance efforts in the Sudan, to support the peace process and solve some of the enormous problems in the country following 21 years of civil war. All sector efforts contribute, directly or indirectly, to poverty reduction and sustainable development in the country in question. Support to sector programmes in the fields of health, education, and water serves to promote access to good quality education, health and water in a sustainable manner. These efforts can often be measured in direct and immediate improvements in the living conditions of the population. The same applies to parts of the agricultural sector support. In 2004 alone, 886,000 people in Uganda gained access to clean drinking water and sanitation. This represented 93 % of the planned target. In Burkina Faso 236 new hand pumps were erected at water wells in 2004, which far exceeded the target of 170 pumps, and in Benin 625 new sources for drawing water were set up, surpassing by far the target of 355. Although the impact of other sector efforts on poverty reduction cannot be measured in the same way, they are no less important and necessary elements in poverty reduction. This, for example, applies to support to roads, energy, environment and framework conditions for business sector development, all of which are necessary for economic growth and income. The effect for the individual can, however, only be measured over time. For 2004 one of the measurable results in this category has been the improvement of the road network in a number of countries. In Tanzania, for example, Denmark has supported the establishment of 43 kilometres of main roads and 375 kilometres of secondary roads, in Uganda 390 kilometres of unpaved roads have been improved, in Mozambique 206 kilometres, and in Benin 15 kilometres of main roads and 120 kilometres of secondary roads. Finally, support to good governance and democracy is of key importance for creating the right framework conditions for a healthy economic development, accountable administration and a reasonable distribution of benefits and influence, to the benefit of the poorest. It is more difficult to measure and count results here, but this does not detract from the importance of poverty reduction Positive results of Danish development assistance to Africa The assessment of results for 2004 is rather positive. According to the Annual Performance Report for % of the project and programme objectives for development assistance to Africa were achieved to a satisfactory or very satisfactory degree. This percentage corresponds to the outcome of Danish development assistance at the global level, which is also 81%. 3) Annual Performance Report 2004, Ministry of Foreign Affairs 37

40 ten years from the goal The Danish efforts are based on a partnership with government and local authorities of the recipient country and on national policies pursued being formulated in the programme countries and not by the donors. Therefore Danish development assistance is closely coordinated with - and based on - the poverty reduction strategy of the country in question as well as being subject to the national policy for a particular sector. Most of the contributions are in the form of support to sector programmes and/or budget support in close cooperation with other donors. All the Danish programme countries in sub- Saharan Africa have formulated national poverty reduction strategies as the overall frame for the prioritisation of resources. In the past year Denmark has also been an active player in the further development of the poverty reduction strategies and in aligning and harmonising our support with that of other donors and national procedures. Read more about this in section 1 on harmonisation. Focus on Africa in 2005 In accordance with the new Africa strategy Denmark supports strengthened efforts for Africa to achieve the Millennium Development Goals within regional and multilateral organisations such as the EU, the UN and the World Bank offers many opportunities for focusing on Africa, for instance at the 2005 Summit on progress in the MDGs, the Doha Round and the review of the EU s Africa policy. Denmark will work in all these contexts for strengthened and coherent efforts vis-à-vis Africa within a broad range of areas that can further Africa s achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. At international level efforts will aim at: > Increasing development assistance to Africa > Improving Africa s capacity in the area of trade and increasing Africa s share of world trade > Strengthening the ability of Africa to meet its own challenges by support to capacity building in The African Union (AU) and the sub-regional organisations in the fields of conflict management and combating terrorism > Strengthening efforts in the field of HIV/AIDS 38

41 A boy enjoys the water from a well in Dhankuta, Nepal. Photo: Mikkel Østergaard Fields at Cascada La Estanzuela near Esteli in Nicaragua. Photo: Nana Reimers The national and global reports to the 2005 Summit all show that at present the developing countries are not on the right course with respect to environmental sustainability. The existing efforts in the field of environment are inadequate if Goal 7 on ensuring environmental sustainability is to be achieved. environment and climate Connection with Johannesburg Denmark is working to achieve formal recognition of the goals set at the World Summit in Johannesburg concerning sanitation, water resource management, chemicals, biodiversity, and fisheries as well as the goals about, inter alia, renewable energy and sustainable patterns of production and consumption as an integrated part of the Millennium Development Goals. In addition, Denmark wants the Summit Declaration to lay the foundation for a long-term strategy to combat global warming (after 2012). At the same time it is important that the Summit Declaration shows a way to avoid that efforts to achieve the MDGs is being impaired or undermined by environmental degradation. 39

42 Masai goat shepherd at the Tanzanian border. Photo: Jørgen Schytte ten years from the goal 2005 Summit the UN proposals for solutions In his report to the Summit the UN Secretary General proposes that countries adopt time-bound targets for the implementation of environmental priorities such as reforestation, integrated water resources management, protection of ecosystems, and fighting pollution. It is also proposed that the countries integrate environmental concerns in other sectors. The Secretary General proposes that regional level efforts be stepped up to solve cross-boundary problems linked to water resources, forests, fisheries, and biodiversity. The development of a global climate regime At global level, the Secretary General has two proposals. One aimed at climate changes, described by the Secretary General as one of the greatest environmental and development challenges of the 21st century. The Secretary General recommends the development of an international climate regime for the period after 2012, where all largescale climate gas emitters (in both the developed and the industrialised countries) contribute to the prevention of climate changes. Denmark supports the recommendations and, in the lead up to the summit, works to ensure more coherent UN efforts in this field. This is in accordance with the government s declared intention to upgrade efforts to combat climate changes and improve the global environment. The second proposal is aimed at strengthening the international environmental management which today is fragmented. The Secretary General on the one hand proposes a clear division of labour between normative and operational work, and on the other hand a more integrated structure in the normative area, building on existing institutions such as UNEP and the Secretariats of the environment conventions. Aimed at both the global and national level, the Secretary General proposes to implement the three Rio conventions on climate changes, biodiversity, and combating desertification. Section 4 of this report focus on Danish bilateral support to implementing the conventions in the developing countries between 2001and

43 Mountainside in the Chukkha Region in Bhutan. Photo: Jørgen Schytte A village in Benin has been supplied with clean water and the children seem to enjoy it! Photo: Jørgen Schytte Danish assistance in support of Goal 7 In recognition of the challenges faced by the developing countries in the area of environment, the Government decided to significantly strengthen Danish efforts in 2004 for a sustainable environment in the developing countries and international environmental cooperation.the decision was announced in the government s priorities for Danish development assistance »Security, growth development«. The objective of Danish assistance to support environmental sustainability, as laid down inter alia in the strategy for Denmark s environmental efforts in the developing countries (2004), is: > to promote sustainable development in the developing countries, > to alleviate environmental impact at the global, national, and local level by contributing to managing environmental challenges in the developing countries, and > to strengthen the countries own possibilities to assume primary responsibility in the longer term. This means that Denmark through both bilateral and multilateral cooperation is ready to support direct efforts that benefit the environment and to support integration by the developing countries of environmental concerns in poverty reduction strategies and other national policies and sectors. Special priority to the climate challenge Efforts to meet the climate challenge constitute a special area of priority. The gravest consequences of climate changes occur in the developing countries. In Denmark s fourth national report under the Climate Convention (2005) a more detailed account has been given on the way in which Danish development assistance has helped the developing countries live up to the provisions of the convention concerning prevention of and adaptation to climate changes. This includes bilateral efforts in the areas of energy, transport, forests, agriculture, waste management, industry, capacity building, and coastal zone management. 41

44 Midwife makes sure that everything is okay, Ghana. Photo: Jørgen Schytte ten years from the goal An action plan to integrate the climate aspect in Danish development cooperation will be presented in August At the same time Denmark is contributing financially to the Climate Fund. This has been set up in connection with the implementation of the Kyoto agreement to support climate alignment and climate-friendly development in the developing countries. As part of the special environmental assistance, CDM (Clean Development Mechanism), projects are underway that can contribute to reducing the emission of climate gases in the developing countries. reproductive health and gender equality In his report to the Summit, the Secretary General emphasises the need to strengthen women s rights, including the right to education, ownership rights, reproductive health, increased representation, access to the labour market, and protection against violence. The promotion of women s rights and gender equality is a priority for Danish development policy. Furthermore, access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and widespread violence against women strongly contributes to many women being infected with the HIV virus. 42

45 Equal access by men and women to fundamental social, political and economic rights - including sexual and reproductive rights is a precondition for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. In preparation for the Summit Denmark is working for broad recognition and acceptance of this fact. Equality and reproductive health are mutually reinforcing The issues regarding gender equality, SRHR, and fighting HIV/AIDS are interlinked. Increased understanding and acceptance of this will serve to improve the synergies both in international development cooperation and at country level. The strong Danish engagement and leadership on gender equality, SRHR, and in the fight against HIV/AIDS continued in 2005 with the implementation of the 2004 gender equality strategy, the launch of a new HIV/AIDS strategy, and the preparation of a new strategy for Danish efforts in the area of population. With the government s priorities for Danish development assistance ,»Security, growth development«, efforts regarding health, including reproductive health and fighting HIV/AIDS, have been strengthened further. Increasing conservative and religious opposition In international fora, Denmark works closely with a number of likeminded donors and EU member countries to ensure that these key priorities are strongly reflected in the international development agenda, and not least in relation to the 2005 Summit. It is still difficult to maintain the close link to already adopted declarations, objectives and conventions concerning both gender equality and SRHR. This is mainly due to increasing pressure from conservative, religious and political forces. This was most recently confirmed during the session of the Women s Commission in March 2005 and the session of the Population Commission in April At the 2005 Summit the concrete Danish objective is that a decision be taken to strengthen the correlation between the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and equal access by women and men to fundamental social, political and economic rights, promotion of SRHR, and intensification of the fight against HIV/AIDS. Denmark hosted conference on population and development As part of marking the tenth anniversary of the UN conference on population and development in Cairo in 1994 (ICPD) in March 2005, Denmark hosted a conference on population policy and sexual and reproductive health and rights, The conference took stock of the implementation of the ICPD action plan and uncovered the most important obstacles for its further implementation. The more than 100 participants from international and Danish organisations, NGOs, networks, and researchers made recommendations for the future strategy for Danish efforts in the area of population and health, to be developed in the course of

46 ten years from the goal The conference underlined the high priority given to population issue and the full backing for the ICPD action plan s objective concerning SRHR. The conference also presented the opportunity to confirm the Danish objective for the 2005 Summit to place the action plan at the centre for achieving the MDGs. Finally, the conference presented the opportunity to mark Danish support for a proposal to add a sub-target under Goal 5 (concerning maternal mortality) on access to reproductive health services. Population and reproductive health higher on the agenda It appears from the analytic reports available prior to the 2005 Summit that the lack of recognition of the ICPD action plan hampers poverty reduction and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. It is crucial for poverty reduction that the individual is in a position to have a satisfactory and safe sex life and can decide on whether to have children, when and how often. When people can make informed decisions regarding their sexual and reproductive life and have access to relevant health services, families become smaller and thus better able to manage financially. At the same time children are more likely to get an education, to see a doctor when they are ill, and to avoid HIV/AIDS. Against this background it is particular encouraging that the Secretary General in his report emphasises the need for access to reproductive health services as a means of ensuring gender equality. Denmark has published a new strategy for HIV/AIDS In April 2005 the new Danish HIV/AIDS strategy was published. The new strategy paves the way for strengthened Danish efforts. Denmark will contribute to the achievement of the internationally adopted targets for efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The effort at country level will be enhanced through increased support for more efficient national planning and implementation of HIV/AIDS programmes, including through better coordination and harmonisation. The strategy reflects rising awareness of the connection between sexual and reproductive health and HIV/AIDS. Most cases of HIV infection occur through sexual transmission or in connection with pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding. Many of the underlying causes that boost the HIV/AIDS epidemic, such as gender inequality, poverty and social marginalisation of the most vulnerable population groups, also contribute to sexual and reproductive diseases. Linking sexual and reproductive health with the prevention of HIV/AIDS paves the way for more cost-efficient programmes that have a greater impact. 44

47 AIDS prevention campaign in Zambia. Photo: Jørgen Schytte Concentrated listening at the college of education in Mongu, Zambia. Photo: Thomas Marott Apart from increased efforts at country level, including continuation of the strong support to improve the general health systems of the developing countries, the strategy also focuses on strengthening the efforts on a number of thematic issues: > Increased focus on women, young people and children who have either been orphaned or in other ways made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS. > Enhanced involvement of civil society in planning and implementing the efforts to combat HIV/AIDS. > An effort to combat the stigmatisation and discrimination of those infected with HIV/AIDS. 45

48 Girls access to education is crucial for the realisation of equal rigths. A group of girls enjoy their break, Zambia. Photo: Jørgen Schytte ten years from the goal 46 The approach in the individual countries and regions will be based on the particular local conditions. In sub-saharan Africa, which is most hard hit by the epidemic, Denmark will contribute to broad and extensive efforts on prevention, care and treatment. In countries with a lower rate of infection, including Asia and Latin America, efforts will focus on strengthening political ownership and leadership through active dialogue with local partners and contributing to improving preventive efforts. Gender equality The basis of Denmark s efforts in the field of gender equality is the gender equality strategy from 2004, with the overall objective of promoting equal rights, equal access to resources, and equal opportunities for influence for men and women. Women represent one of the most effective driving forces for development. This is also underlined by the Secretary General in his report to the 2005 Summit. Denmark will work to ensure that the Summit Declaration reflects seven strategic priorities that can directly promote gender equality and the empowerment of women: Strengthening

49 girls completing their primary education and access to secondary education, women s equal rights to land ownership and inheritance, women s access to sexual and reproductive services, promotion of equal access to the labour market, the opportunity for increased participation in governments decision-making bodies, and combating violence against women. Violence against women is a widespread problem with high human, social and economic costs. Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security forms the point of departure for a number of initiatives in Danish development assistance, Danish membership of the Security Council, and work in a number of international organisations such as the UN, the OSCE, NATO, and the EU. Denmark would welcome that the 2005 Summit s section on peace and security reflects relevant elements of Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security. 47

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