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Mr. Babu Lal Jain, Senior Advisor, in India for the United Nations Office for Partnerships, has taken up the task of enlisting the participation of corporates in helping achieve India’s goals.
As quoted, “I firmly believe that, since the government’s time and resources are limited, corporate participation will swing the balance. This participation, moreover, will stimulate the economy and help your own business development."
“In my initial conversations with some CEOs, I have had a very enthusiastic response. They understand that a big push is needed to ensure that India succeeds. They realize that this impetus and momentum can only be achieved by incorporating MDGs into their Corporate Social Responsibility work”.
Under the valuable guidance of UNOP Executive Director Amir Dossal, UNOP in India has launched a MDGs initiative in the 543 parliamentary constituencies in India, an initiative supported by Corporate Affairs Minister, Salman Khurshid.
The first step, with the help of the relevant MP, is to ascertain where the constituency stands in relation to the MDG targets.
As the CEO of your enterprise, you already look after the interests of your shareholders, client-partners, and vendor-partners. What the MDG initiative will do is to bring 1.2 billion Indian citizens on board too as stakeholders in the country who deserve the right to sustainable living. Globally stakeholder’s rights to sustainability are the need of the hour.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are the most broadly supported, comprehensive and specific development goals the world has ever agreed upon. These eight time-bound goals provide concrete, numerical benchmarks for tackling extreme poverty in its many dimensions. They include goals and targets on income poverty, hunger, maternal and child mortality, disease, inadequate shelter, gender inequality, environmental degradation and the Global Partnership for Development.
Adopted by world leaders in the year 2000 and set to be achieved by 2015, the MDGs are both global and local, tailored by each country to suit specific development needs. They provide a framework for the entire international community to work together towards a common end – making sure that human development reaches everyone, everywhere. If these goals are achieved, world poverty will be cut by half, tens of millions of lives will be saved, and billions more people will have the opportunity to benefit from the global economy.
The eight MDGs break down into 21 quantifiable targets that are measured by 60 indicators.
Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
Goal 5: Improve maternal health
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development
Mr. Babu Lal Jain
Senior Advisor – United Nations Office for Partnerships
babu4mdgs@wicsconnect.com
One United Nations Plaza, Room DC1-1330
New York, NY 10017
USA
Phone: (212) 963-1000
Fax (212) 963-1486
