Investing in Development

The abovementioned document presents the finding and recommendations of the UN Millennium Project. This project with its 10 task forces, Secretariat, and broad array of participants from academia, government, UN agencies, international financial institutions, nongovernmental organisations, donor agencies, and the private sector created a worldwide network of development practitioners and experts across an enormous range of countries, disciplines and organisations. The report outlines ten key recommendations. Click here to see full report

Recommendation 1: Recommends that all developing country governments develop MDG-based poverty reduction strategies to meet 2015 deadlines

Recommendation 2: These strategies should anchor the scaling up of public investments, capacity building, domestic resource mobilisation and official development assistance. They should also provide a framework for strengthening governance, promoting human rights, engaging civil society, and promoting the private sector.

Recommendation 3: Developing country governments should craft and implement the MDG-based poverty reduction strategies in transparent and inclusive processes, working closely with civil society organisations, the domestic private sector, and international partners.

Recommendation 4: International donors should identify at least a dozen MDG ‘fast-track’ countries for a rapid scale-up of official development assistance in 2005, recognising that many countries are already in a position for a massive scale-up on the basis of their good governance and absorptive capacity.

Recommendation 5: Developed and developing countries should jointly launch, in 2005, a group of Quick Win actions to save and improve millions of lives and to promote economic growth. The should also launch a massive effort to build expertise at the community level.

Recommendation 6: Developing country governments should align national strategies with such regional initiatives as the New Partnership for Africa’s Development and the Caribbean Community, and regional groups should receive increased direct donor support for regional project.

Recommendation 7: High-income countries should increase official development assistance from 0.25% of donor GNP in 2003 to around 0.44% in 2006 and 0.54% in 2015 to support the MDGs

Recommendation 8: High income countries should open their markets to developing country exports through the Doha trade round and help Least Developed Countries raise export competitiveness through investments in critical trade-related infrastructure, including electricity, roads, and ports.

Recommendation 9: International donors should mobilise support for glocal scientific research and development to address special needs of the poor in areas of health, agriculture, natural resource and environmental management, energy, and climate. We estimate the total needs to rise to approx. $7 billion a year by 2015.

Recommendation 10: The UN Secretary-General and the UN Development Group should strengthen the coordination of UN agencies, funds and programmes to support the MDGs, at HQ and country level