Haiti Achieves Significant Progress On UN Millennium Development Goals

Port-au-Prince, 27/06/2014. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Haitian government have presented on Wednesday the second edition of the national report on the Millennium
Development Goals (MDG's). While challenges remain, Haiti has made major progress in the fields of
poverty reduction, education and environmental protection.

Adopted in New York in 2000 by 189 member states of the United Nations, the Millennium Development Goals set an international framework through which national governments and international development agencies work together to achieve common goals.

Among several countries concerned, UNDP makes recommendations to the government of Haiti to
facilitate acceleration and strengthen efforts to fight poverty by releasing a report that analyzes the
progress accomplished. It presents the interventions of the Haitian government, and identifies
constraints and recommendations to accelerate achievements towards 2015 and beyond.

With the support of the international community, Haiti has undertaken major efforts to move the country forward on the path of progress and development. The figures in the fields of education,
maternal health, child health, HIV / AIDS, and the empowerment of women reflect a real change in the
living conditions of the population, in spite of the enormous challenges the country continues to face.

In the fight to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger (MDG 1), the Haitian government has launched an
action plan against extreme poverty and has appointed a Minister for the fight against extreme poverty.

In the context of achieving universal primary education (MDG 2), the net enrollment rate in primary
education has increased steadily from 47% in 1993 to 88% in 2011. In 2013, 85% of one year olds are
immunized against measles compared to 57.7% in 2006, reducing child mortality (MDG 4). To ensure
environmental sustainability (MDG 7), forestation has increased with 16,000 hectares compared to 1990 and 4,428,000 seedlings have been planted since 2012.

Haitian Prime Minister Laurent S. Lamothe reiterated the commitment of his Government on the MDGs and encouraged civil society to support state institutions in their ongoing efforts to achieve the goals. He commended the efforts done, particularly in terms of poverty reduction, education and environmental protection.

The government has paid close attention to these areas in the light of the policy priorities defined as the '5 E's': education, environment, employment, energy and rule of law. "All the efforts made by Haiti in recent years should continue. It is our duty to combine efforts and transcend to succeed with the people and for the people", he emphasized.

The eight objectives of The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are: (I) To eradicate extreme
poverty and hunger; (II) To achieve universal primary education; (III) To promote gender equality and
empower women; (IV) To reduce child mortality; (V) To improve maternal health; (VI); To combat
HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases; (VII) To ensure environmental sustainability; (VIII) To develop a
global partnership for development.

Press contact: Ed Lozama - [email protected] - +509 43183333