WHAT IS STAND UNITED & TAKE ACTION?

It is a three-day global mobilization that aims to send a loud and clear message from citizens to leaders of rich and poor countries to take urgent action to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). And once again break the Guinness World Record for having the largest number of people participating in a single event.

WHAT ARE THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS?

The MDGs are a set of eight time-bound, concrete and specific targets aimed at significantly reducing, if not decisively eradicating extreme poverty by 2015. They are embodied in the Millennium Declaration of 2000, which were signed by 189 world leaders from around the globe, including the Philippines.

The eight MDGs are:

• Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
• Achieve universal primary education.
• Promote gender equality and empower women.
• Reduce child mortality.
• Improve maternal health.
• Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.
• Ensure environmental sustainability.
• Develop a global partnership for development.

WHY STAND UNITED & TAKE ACTION?

This year, Stand Up will take place against the backdrop of a deepening financial crisis and a slowing global economy. It is a time of great challenge for development in general and the MDGs in particular. Already we are seeing the potentially devastating impact on this on the world’s poorest and most vulnerable. We know that the current economic climate threatens to undo and possibly even reverse the very significant gains that have been made towards achieving the MDGs.

With just six years left to the 2015 deadline for the achievement of the Goals, we cannot afford to let this happen. The achievement of the MDGs must remain a priority on the global political and public agenda. Through Stand United, we will convey the urgency of meeting the MDGs and end extreme poverty by 2015.

FOCUS OF ACTIONS THIS YEAR

While the Philippines is progressing well in its bid to achieve most of the MDGs, faster pace of gains is urgently needed to reach 2015 targets, especially because poverty has increased in the country.

The Philippine Situation:

• 33% of Filipinos live on less than USD 1 a day.
• About 5.2 million children are not in school.
• 11 mothers die every day due to pregnancy-related causes (2006 UN estimates)
• HIV cases among the youth nearly tripled from 41 in 2007 to 110 in 2008.
• In 2008, there were 3.4 million pregnancies, about half (1.8 million) were unplanned and about one-third (560,000) of the unplanned ended in abortion (Guttmacher, 2009).

Current trending shows that targets for MDG 1 (Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger), MDG 2 (Achieve universal primary education), MDG 5 (Improve maternal health) and MDG 6 (combat HIV/AIDS) will least likely be achieved.

It is for this reason that we encourage actions to revolve around the four MDGs and deliver messages, such as:

• Education and maternal health are the best ways to combat poverty. The chances of getting our of poverty increase with:
  1. Higher level of education - 2/3 of poor households is headed by those at best with primary education
  2. Smaller family size - Among poor families, 13% are 3-member families, while 54% are 9-member families. 40% of maternal deaths can be prevented by proper spacing.
• Population impacts all the MDGs. The larger the population a country has, the greater will be the pressure on basic social services and natural resources.
• Local leaders should know the HIV and sexually-transmitted infections epidemic in their constituencies. Knowing our epidemic will enable us to plan low-cost and high-impact interventions at the local and national levels.

Contact Information:
Dulce Marie Saret
National MDG Campaign and Advocacy Specialist
United Nations Millennium Campaign
Email: dulce.saret@undp.org