Topic A: Millennium Development Summit: Revisiting the Millennium Development Goals

Committee: Historical General Assembly, 2000

Guinea-Bissau considers development as an essential process. In 1990, almost half of the population in developing regions lived on less than $1.25 a day. Maternal mortality rate worldwide was 370 per 100 000 live births. The estimated number of under-five deaths was 12.6 million. The school enrolment rate in primary education in developing regions was 83 % in 1999. Emissions of carbon dioxide in developing countries are 6.7 % in 1990. The UN Development Group and UNDP contribute to the world development.

Guinea-Bissau has an under-funded health system which is inefficient in terms of infrastructure, equipment and qualified human resources. About 90 % of the needed funding comes from abroad. Infant mortality was 138 per 1,000 in 1998. Private sector credit to the economy plummeted below 1% of GDP after civil war. There are 14,000 adults with HIV in 1999(Guinea-Bissau is a hub for drug trafficking and is interested to work with Latin America to solve the issue). There was a civil war in 1998-1999. It is pivotal to mention about the supplementary feeding programs (SFPs) of the civil war that mitigated the nutrition (74 % of malnourished children received treatment) and Radi, the NGO, that encouraged population from Kandjadja to develop local farming programs. Guinea-Bissau introduced Interim National Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper.

Guinea-Bissau recommends certain measures to reduce poverty and hunger: 1) microfinance; 2) creating conditions for demographic dividend;3) group lending;4) implement policies with incentives to start up NGOs and enterprises;5) debt relief;6) a poverty-environment approach(creating green jobs);7) food banks.

To fight HIV and other diseases, there are solutions:1)male and female condoms;2) dealing with orphans;3) needle exchange programs;4) large-scale prevention programs;5) a wide access to essential drugs, vaccines;6) insecticide-treated bed nets to fight malaria.

The decisions for providing people with primary education:1) segregated latrines at school; 2) radio lessons; 3) school banking; 4) distance learning; 5) school feeding; 6) school grants; 7) phasing out school fees.

Women empowerment can be achieved by:1) reviewing existing legislation and identify gaps and areas to improve; 2) a public speaking contest on the issue; 3) the law of a zero-tolerance policy towards gender discrimination; 4) rewards for gender equality fighters; 5) discouraging harmful practices(genital mutilation); 6) equity of land tenure system.

Environment can be improved by: 1) sustainable agriculture practices; 2) the cut of harmful fossil fuel subsidies; 3) eco-friendly subsidies; 4) monitoring systems; 5) emission credits for eco-friendly investments; 6) using alternative resources of energy.

There are solutions to reduce child mortality and improve maternal health: 1) small maternity hospitals; 2) preventive care; 3) vaccination; 4) antenatal and postnatal care; 5) equity of access to health system; 6) scaling up effective health services.

General measures for all MDG include: 1) raise awareness campaigns; 2) local and national plans to solve an issue; 3) multilateral cooperation; 4) educating and training for policy makers and people;.0205) allocating funds and resources.