Maritime Search and Rescue: Benefit or Burden for Society?

Transcription

1 WMU Journal of Maritime Affairs, Vol. 6 (2007), No.1, Maritime Search and Rescue: Benefit or Burden for Society? Udo Helge Fox * German Maritime Search and Rescue Service Abstract Just twenty five years have passed since the International Maritime Organization (IMO) provided the legal and internationally harmonized framework for maritime search and rescue operations. While a number of nations only had to adapt their well-established national services it took great efforts for other nations to develop agencies able to fulfil or outstrip minimum requirements. However, the majority of nations (well aware of the humanitarian nature of that task) have been afraid to cope with this challenge and the related financial burdens since the benefits to local, regional, or even national economies are not always clear to the relevant national administrating authorities. In most developing coastal nations the size of the number of lives lost at sea can have a severe impact not only for local communities but also for the prosperity of the political economy of a region or country. To overcome the deficiencies described so well by intergovernmental bodies such as the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) which are specialized agencies of the United Nations requires intensive and ongoing co-operation among all relevant specialized UN bodies. Nonetheless, the effectiveness of their work depends almost entirely on the action taken by the Nations themselves. Responsible national administrating authorities must realize the benefits, opportunities and chances provided by well-established maritime search and rescue services able to provide effective assistance to those in distress at sea. Key words: Search and Rescue, SAR Convention, IAMSAR Manual, Global SAR-Plan, IMO 1 Historical Background In maritime history retrieving persons in distress at sea could not always be taken for granted, and to a large extent it still cannot be taken for granted. Consequently in a significant number of cultures, codes of good practice and seamanship lead to the self-commitment of ships and their crews to assist vessels in distress. * Executive Director, German Maritime Search and Rescue Service, P.O. Box , Bremen, Germany, fox@seenotretter.de World Maritime University. All rights reserved. ISSN: X print/ online

2 76 Fox In Europe beginning in the late 18 th century and continuing through the 19 th century, humanitarian ideas inspired private initiatives which lead to the founding of a number of local and national rescue organizations. In the Baltic Sea area, the first rescue boat station of note was funded by the mercantile community of Memel in the year In some countries maritime rescue became a formal task guaranteed or financed by local, regional or national authorities. For example in 1850 the government of Prussia established about 20 rescue boat stations along its coastline which were managed by local administration and operated by pilots. Due to lack of success this work was terminated after just a few years. In the early 20 th century, especially after the Titanic disaster, more and more international efforts were undertaken to implement rules, regulations and guidelines to establish and organize harmonized maritime search and rescue activities. Under the significant influence of the horrible loss of lives during the naval battles of the 2 nd World War, maritime rescue became no longer a matter of ethics or a humanitarian imperative only, but also a question of efficient human resource management. Training and qualification of soldiers were significant matters of time and cost which had to be minimized. As unpalatable as this may sound, it is a fact that the methods of search planning we nowadays use were to a large extent improved by the U.S. Navy to minimize losses in the battles of the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean. 2 The Role of IMO A milestone in the development of global maritime search and rescue was the IMO International Convention on Search and Rescue (SAR) of 1979 (IMO 2000) which entered into force in June The SAR Convention was designed to provide the framework for necessary arrangements for provision and co-ordination of search and rescue services. The aim was to develop a global SAR plan, to ensure that, no matter where an accident occurs, the rescue of persons in distress at sea will be coordinated according to international standards and, if necessary, by co-operation between neighbouring states. Therefore the world s oceans are divided into search and rescue regions established by agreement among Parties concerned. The effectiveness of the plan depends almost entirely on the number of parties to the Convention and how well parties assure necessary arrangements for the provision of adequate search and rescue services for persons in distress at sea within their search and rescue regions. All coastal States should develop their SAR services on basis of associated manuals, guidelines, resolutions and recommendations encouraging and enabling adjacent States to co-operate and provide mutual assistance in a harmonized way. In 1998, IMO adopted a revised annex to the Convention which clarified the responsibilities of Governments and put greater emphasis on the regional approach and coordination between maritime and aeronautical SAR operations. The revision was necessary to overcome obvious difficulties in implementing the original convention

3 Maritime Search and Rescue 77 and to encourage more nations to join the Convention. The revised Annex entered into force in By April 2006, the SAR Convention had been ratified by 86 countries representing just over 52 % of world merchant shipping tonnage (IMO 2006). The establishment of the Global SAR-Plan is an ongoing process and it needs further efforts to provide adequate SAR services wherever and whenever a distress situation could occur. The most important guideline or tool to assist Governments in the implementation and development of effective and efficient SAR services is the International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue (IAMSAR) Manual, developed jointly by IMO and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) which is published in three volumes (IMO/ICAO 2006) covering Organization and Management, Mission Co-ordination, and Mobile Facilities. From personal experience in interviewing Governmental representatives, a sound assumption is that a significant number of Governments are, in principle, willing to sign the SAR convention and to commit themselves, but are concerned about the financial burdens to the national public budget as the development of SAR organizations is generally perceived as costly. Competition for limited financial resources is strong, especially in developing countries, and priorities are concurring. In today s globalized world, Nations try to improve in economic sectors which promise a competitive advantage for the future. 3 Dimensions of the Problem In the past SAR was more or less seen as an isolated matter for specialists. Today, in the context of other matters of consideration as the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code (IMO 2003) or the South Asian Tsunami disaster, global SAR is coming more and more into focus. The beneficial role of well-organized and effective SAR organizations, their expertise, permanent availability and their ability to react without delay to the unforeseeable cannot be overemphasized. Some statistics may help to demonstrate the dimensions of the problem. According to the figures stated by IMO the total numbers of lives lost at sea seem to be comparatively small (Table 1). Table 1. Lives lost (seafarers and passengers) due to safety-related accident/incidents on ships subject to IMO conventions and other instruments, compared to the total number of lives at risk Lives Lost Estimated total number of 676,388, ,802, ,668,842 1,089,606,604 Passengers and seafarers Source: IMO 2005 The ratio of lives lost to number of lives at risk is infinitesimally small.

4 78 Fox It has to be mentioned that the vast majority of ships are not subject to IMO conventions (due to small size, purpose or trading limits, non-party to relevant conventions). Figures provided by other sources show a different picture. British, Canadian and American studies found out that marine fishing is the most dangerous of all civilian occupations. Fatality rates of fishermen in industrialized nations are up to 40 times higher then the national average for all industries. Much higher figures are cited for developing countries. In Guinea, for example, in a year every 15 th canoe has an accident and for every 200 registered fishermen, one person (male and female fisherfolk, fish traders and their families) dies in a canoe accident (ILO 2000). This extreme rate of loss of life and other casualties is primarily caused by artisanal and other small-scale fishing in conditions for which their vessels, and their safety and communication, first aid, SAR and early warning equipment, are less than adequate). In 1996 for example, during a severe cyclone, more then 1,400 fishers perished in the sea along the coast of India in one night only. The Occupational Safety and Health Branch of ILO estimates that more then 24,000 fatalities occur worldwide per annum in fisheries; that is nearly 70 lives a day. It seems plausible that the fatality rates in countries for which data is not available might be higher than it is in those that do keep records. Thus, the number of global fatalities might be considerably higher than the figure of deaths worldwide per year estimated by the ILO (UN Atlas of the Oceans 2000). The risk of fatalities will increase. While in developed countries, fish is becoming more and more a culinary speciality, in the developing countries fish is the most important source of animal protein. Due to the growth of global population the demand increases. Overfishing and climatic changes consequently lead to fishing farther away from shore and extended journeys in boats not designed to be operated in open seas. According to data provided by FAO (1998b, 66) in 1995 about 1.3 million vessels of the world fishing fleet were decked vessels, the remaining 2.5 million vessels were undecked vessels, generally less than 10 m in length. While almost all decked vessels are motorized, only about 30 % of the undecked vessels are equipped with an engine. Most of the world s fishing vessels operate in Asia. The proportion of non-motorized vessels is higher in Africa (about 80%) than in any other continent, while Europe has the highest proportion of decked vessels (about 70% in 1995). In the Asian fleet, slightly fewer than 40% are reported to be decked vessels. In the last 25 years, the world fishing fleet has more than doubled both in terms of tonnage and in number of vessels. The research of the FAO shows that most fishing vessels (by a significant amount) are less than 25 gross tons, thus falling into the category of artisanal fisheries. The vast majority of these boats are undecked and a significant high number is not powered by engines (FAO 1998a).

5 Maritime Search and Rescue 79 1,400,000 1,200,000 Number of Vessels 1,000, , , , , and over Total Tonnage Class Figure 1: Distribution of decked fishing vessels by tonnage Source: FAO 1998a Notes: Undecked fishing vessels The number of undecked vessels increased from about 1.5 million in the 1970s to about 2.5 million by 1990, mainly as a result of higher numbers in Asia. The vast majority of undecked fishing craft in Asia and Africa are not powered by engines. Given that decked craft are relatively few in Africa, the typical African fishing vessel is undecked and nonmotorized. In Asia, the typical vessel is different, as the proportion of decked fishing craft is comparatively high. Ben-Yami (ILO 2000) in a working paper for the Sectorial Activities Programme of the ILO, summarized risks and dangers for crews in small scale fisheries, the role of SAR services and made recommendations to achieve a substantial reduction of the death rates. It seems to be plausible that the great majority of the world s small-scale fishermen operate in areas where SAR systems are not available at all or are at a stage where there is a need for further development to achieve reasonable to good SAR services. Obviously the absence of well trained and certified personnel also has a significant influence on fatality rates. Often in those countries, legislation takes care of safety matters to a limited extent only, and enforcement is ineffective. In some countries, though this is unfavourable, safety legislation is subject to political anti-regulation pressure, as well as to official opposition based on implementation difficulties. According to ILO, one reason is corruption, as regulating simply means that fishermen have to pay their way out of inspections or examinations. Another reason is that in many places fishermen can hardly afford to acquire the safety equipment prescribed. The way out is to cheat by borrowing equipment just for the inspection. It appears that there are only a few countries, worldwide, where the various aspects of safety of smallscale fishermen are effectively regulated and the regulations effectively enforced. However, it is not only in developing countries that this attitude is found according to the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) the sharing around of safety equipment before inspectors visit has been noted in the UK inshore fishing boat community, too.

6 80 Fox The extent of official interest in fishermen s safety depends not only on national priorities and political will, but also on local capacity to deal with the issue. Therefore, any international or Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) activities aimed at developing or improving existing national SAR systems are extremely important and desperately needed. In by far the most cases, fishermen in trouble at sea are dependent on their workmates on boats in the vicinity. In most incidents there is no chance to call for assistance if the visual contact is lost. Even in countries where public budgets and the level of science and technology is high enough to establish modern navies and air forces, it is not unusual that SAR services provided to clients like fishermen are still in an embryonic phase. Public and press interest is low and official statistics under-report with regard to fishermen who do not return from a trip. Loss of fishing craft and people at sea is not news, except in the immediate communities of the missing ones, or when the dead become newsworthy because of their huge numbers. As the ILO working paper shows, fishermen in most countries are politically weak and have neither the political support nor the lobbying power to influence the authorities to invest money and effort to improve their safety. Usually, also, they are preoccupied with their daily struggle for survival and their immediate economic problems. Informal SAR can be found in some areas among fishermen. Additionally, where NGOs are active, awareness of the problem grows and survival chances may increase. The most important reasons why SAR services are not properly established in developing countries are: insufficient awareness, lack of funds, safety and SAR, lack of suitable craft, thinking in terms of costs instead of investments, lack of personnel knowledgeable in marine safety problems or specialized in marine no access to know-how, the huge numbers of fishing craft and of fishermen who are spread over long coastlines and numerous, often remote islands, inadequate technical and institutional infrastructure, and social or cultural reasons. Any strategy to reduce fatality rates has to focus on two goals: accident prevention, and reducing the consequences (casualties) of accidents.

7 Maritime Search and Rescue 81 Accident prevention has to do with boat design and seaworthiness, training, and access to information and warning systems. Reducing the consequences of accidents has to do with do with skipper and crew performance in an emergency, safety equipment on board, alarm-raising systems, and SAR services. 4 Co-operation between the Specialized Bodies of the United Nations Organizing government-run SAR in countries where governments are ineffective in other public services may be extremely difficult. Such projects, having received the equipment and basic training, tend to fall into disuse soon after expatriate expertise and external funding are terminated. Also, the introduction of western-type voluntary institutions is unlikely to succeed. The way to go, therefore, is through identification of local (including traditional) institutions and local leadership that can, with some outside support, organize their own SAR and storm-safety services as well as other related projects. In this respect, NGOs can play a very useful role. Also, international organizations, such as the FAO, ILO or IMO, or their joint working group, might develop a programme designed to match national SAR agencies in developed countries with local safety projects in developing countries in adoption schemes. Educational and training efforts are of utmost importance and should have priority. FAO, ILO and IMO are the main intergovernmental bodies interested and able to deal with the safety problems of small-scale fisheries. It appears that: FAO could take over a leading role in aspects (raised above) of this endeavour because of decades of experience and involvement in small-scale fisheries, mainly in the various aspects of development and management, and in boat design and fishermen s safety, IMO is most appropriate to take the lead in general marine matters, such as early warning weather systems and SAR services, as well as certification and inspection, ILO could initiate and co-ordinate matters in the promotion and organization of training and educational programmes. It seems to be important that the three organizations take up the whole issue in a joint approach. Such a programme would carry more weight in the eyes of the governments willing to participate and would prevent duplication (or even triplication) of effort. The three organizations should either set up another working group, or commission a suitable group, to review the existing warning systems and SAR services among the nations supporting small-scale fisheries. IMO seems best suited professionally to lead this activity. With respect to warning and SAR systems, regional and international cooperation, as indicated, should be encouraged and, if necessary, coordinated by the working group. If necessary, solutions should be sought, promoted and supported. The working group should promote the strengthening or establishment of SAR services in areas

8 82 Fox where the need for them is the greatest. It should look for international and NGO financial support and the supply of expertise needed for training and running-in such services where governments are unable to take proper care of SAR. The three organizations should review the degree of training and know-how in areas with a high casualty record and where necessary initiate or promote suitable training programmes. NGOs are playing an important role in many developing countries, especially in community related work. The integrated programme of the three organizations should actively promote the drawing in of NGOs when possible. NGOs providing substantial input into the programme ought to be represented on the programme s working group(s). The important role of NGOs in successful development aid has been proven again and again (Sachs 2005). The United Nations Millennium Project (2005, 12 13) with its eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which range from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education, all by the target date of 2015 will strongly depend not only on the required financial resources agreed to by all the world s countries and all the world s leading development institutions but also on the more then 3,000 NGO working directly with the UN Secretariat. In a UN press release (UN 2004), Shashi Tharoor United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information is quoted as follows: This Conference aims to raise public awareness and support for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through the 3,000 NGOs working directly with the UN Secretariat. The involvement of civil society partners in the MDG campaign is essential to its success. Without any doubt IMO priority always has been and will be the safety of human life at sea (IMO Assembly 2004). Nevertheless, it is also obvious that an Organization like IMO has a selective focus on maritime industry. IMO has realized that it needs further and different steps to improve its Global SAR Plan. To make the Global SAR plan a success story, the existing co-operation between the specialized Organizations of the United Nations, the national administrating authorities and all relevant stakeholders, has to be fostered and further improved. The need to enhance co-operation between the main intergovernmental bodies became obvious to everyone after the catastrophic South Asian tsunami disaster in December As a reaction to this, IMO invited representatives from the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), to attend an ad-hoc interagency co-ordinating meeting held in January 2005 in London to discuss relevant responses required. The action list states inter alia to ensure that any tsunami

9 Maritime Search and Rescue 83 warning coordinators (present or to be established) are aware of and fully utilise the present systems available for use for alerting shipping i.e. NAVAREA (short title of an area in the world-wide navigational service) co-ordinators, GMDSS, IMO SAR plan, Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centres (IMO COMSAR 2005). At a conference on Maritime SAR and the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), organized by IMO in Florence, Italy in October 2000, a resolution (IMO COMSAR 2000) was adopted which considered the establishment of an International SAR Fund to boost services along the African coastlines. In May 2004, IMO s Maritime Safety Committee formally recommended (IMO MSC 2004) to the IMO Council the establishment of an International SAR Fund. Once established, such a Fund will assist countries which do not have the resources to put into place an adequate SAR infrastructure and will then fill in the gap in IMO efforts to establish the Global SAR plan on a realistic, efficient and effective basis. IMO is currently conducting a pilot project under its Integrated Technical Co-operation Programme (ITCP) to establish and operate a regional MRCC in Mombassa, Kenya and two Maritime Rescue Sub-centres (MRSC) in the Seychelles and Tanzania. This project will serve as an example for other regions in Africa and elsewhere to follow. The project is centred on co-operation between all stakeholders in the SAR services of the sub-region, including the ICAO, IMO, the host countries concerned, private donors and the International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF) previously known as International Lifeboat Federation (ILF). 5 Promoting Maritime Search and Rescue through NGOs The IMRF is the worlds sole umbrella federation of organizations providing activities in the field of maritime SAR. The IMRF is a NPO/NGO accredited to IMO as an observer and a charity according to British law. The members consist of SAR organizations all around the world ranging in size from small groups of volunteers to the world s strongest paramilitary forces. All kinds of organizational structures and fundraising/financing schemes are represented. The Council, which is currently the steering committee of the IMRF, consists of organizations and institutions from Norway, Sweden, Germany, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, Madeira, British Virgin Islands, USA, Uruguay, Uganda, South Africa and New Zealand. The IMRF vision is defined as preventing loss of life on the world s waters. The mission is defined as being the federation for the world s maritime SAR organizations. The two objectives are the promotion of the saving of life on waters worldwide and the enhancement of safety on water through promoting awareness and education. By its nature IMRF can play a significant role in the further improvement of the Global SAR plan. Besides its work under the umbrella of IMO, several own projects and activities will be effective as supporting measures. For instance IMRF at the Council meeting in April 2004 decided to formalize and improve the co-operation between IMRF and WMU. In June 2004 WMU and IMRF agreed in the implementation of

10 84 Fox lectures on SAR within the main study programme beginning September 2004 and the development of a two-week elective course on SAR Management preferably beginning in The objective of this project is to convince and motivate high-potential future managers, administrators and trainers from all around the world to promote the development of maritime SAR in their home countries and adjacent areas. In June 2005 the first course took place. The content is fully in line with the IAMSAR Manual (IMO and ICAO 2006) and consists of the following components: 1. The General System Concept 2. System Components 3. Training, Qualification, Certification and Exercises 4. Communications 5. System Management 6. Public Relations 7. System Assessment 8. Improving Services The aim of the course is the provision of a thorough understanding of the fundamental international law on Maritime Search and Rescue, the international provisions governing search and rescue, plans and disaster management plans, the economical context, the important factors for SAR communications, resources used in search and rescue operations, how to build up professionalism, the planning process and management functions, and how to deal with the public and the media. the administrative organization and responsibilities of a SAR Service, the benefits of a professional SAR Service for existing national emergency response 6 Conclusion The number of maritime-related fatalities in developing countries is alarming. Besides the already existing attempts to improve the situation, there is the need for increased co-ordination of efforts of intergovernmental bodies together with civil society partners such as local non-governmental organizations. FAO, ILO, IMO and other international bodies have an assisting function in providing a framework that leads to initialisation, standardisation, and harmonization of SAR services. Tools like the IMO SAR fund can assist only to initiate, establish or operate SAR systems. However it is up to the national administrating authorities to declare Maritime SAR a benefit and not a burden to society. Any SAR system in developing countries should be based on simple, robust and effective systems. There is no immediate need for high-technology communications and

11 Maritime Search and Rescue 85 computer infrastructure that require extensive logistical and technical support. A shore radio infrastructure linked to one or more MRCCs or Alerting Posts, with staff using paper-based command and control processes (e.g. paper logs, charts and information resources) would suffice and could provide an effective SAR coordination and response system efficiently. The shore radio infrastructure could be organized by a network of volunteer (or semivolunteer) Alerting Posts who would monitor VHF voice and DSC. These posts could be, for example, harbour masters, local community volunteers or fishing communities who agree to set-watch whilst their fishing fleet is at sea, or for set periods of time or, if possible, through suitable organization, 24 hour watch keeping. The benefits of well-established maritime SAR services can be summarized as follows: reduction of loss of life and suffering, safer and more secure environment for maritime related industries, commerce, recreation, and travel, initial response and relief capabilities critical to saving lives in early stages of natural and man-made disasters, integral part of any local, national or regional emergency management system, promotion of communication and co-operation among states because it is a relatively non-controversial and humanitarian mission, excellent leadership tool leading to co-operation in other areas as well, SAR operations, performed well, can provide positive publicity, poor or ineffective response to a major accident or disaster can adversely affect sensitive industries such as tourism and transportation, saving of costs preventive SAR, increased safety promotes economic development, and possible saving of valuable property in association with SAR activities can be high. To achieve the two goals of accident prevention and reducing the consequences of accidents, harmonized and sustained measures are needed, primarily to encourage local and regional initiatives and institutions, transfer knowledge, expertise and capabilities to those who need and desire it, assist in the development of formal structures such as national or regional SAR ser- improve awareness on governmental and public levels, promote informal SAR in local communities, vices, on land and at sea, and improve legislation and enforcement of safety regulations, raise funds required for a basic information and communication infrastructure involve voluntary bodies such as the IMRF, as they have no agenda other than to promote the saving of human life and also have extensive experience of setting up and running voluntary lifesaving groups, etc. They also have a lower profile than

12 86 Fox UN bodies and would more likely be seen as unconnected to international government interests or external interference. It requires the will and the self-initiative of countries or regions to make best use of resources available and to fulfil the Global SAR plan and to assist those who are in trouble at sea. National administrating authorities should realize that well-established maritime search and rescue services can have significant positive effects not only on those in distress at sea but also taking a broader view for the whole national or regional emergency management system and overall economic development. References Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). 1998a. FAO Fishery Information, Data and Statistics Unit Fishery Fleet Statistics, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, Bulletins of Fishery Statistics 35. Rome: FAO b. The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) SOFIA Rome: FAO. International Labour Office (ILO). Sectoral Activities Programme Risks and Dangers in Small-scale Fisheries: An Overview. Ben-Yami, Menakhem. Working Paper SAP 3.6/WP.147. International Maritime Organization (IMO) International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue, 1979 as Amended by Resolution MSC. 70(69). London: IMO International Ship & Port Facility Code and SOLAS Amendments London: IMO Strategic Plan Performance Indicators Indicator 4: Lives Lost IMO Summary of Conventions as at 30 November imo.org/conventions/mainframe.asp?topic_id=247. IMO. Assembly Strategic Plan for the Organization (For the Six-Year Period 2004 to 2010). A 23/Res.944. IMO. Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) Radiocommunications and Search and Rescue Follow-up to the 2000 Florence Conference Note by the Secretariat. MSC 78/16/1. IMO. Sub-Committee on Radiocommunications and Search and Rescue (COMSAR) Matters concerning Search and Rescue including those related to the 1979 SAR

13 Maritime Search and Rescue 87 Conference and the Introduction of the GMDSS Florence Conference on Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR) and the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GM- DSS) Note by the Secretariat. COMSAR 5/8/ Global Maritime Distress and Safety Systems (GMDSS). COMSAR 9/3/1. International Maritime Organization (IMO) and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue Manual (IAMSAR): Guidelines for the Conduct and Co-ordination of SAR Mission. London: IMO/ICAO. Sachs, Jeffrey D The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for our Time. New York: Penguin Books. United Nations (UN). UN Department of Public Information Annual DPI/ NGO Conference to Focus on Millennium Development Goals; 8 10 September. Press Release NGO/546 PI/1608. UN Atlas of the Oceans Risks of Fishing. CDSServlet?status=ND0xMjM4My5maWdpc1RvcGljczEzNzcwJjY9ZW4mMz M9ZG9jdW1lbnRzJjM3PWluZm8~. UN Millennium Project Investing in Development: A Practical Plan to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Overview. New York: United Nations Development Programme.