President Calls for Acceleration of MDGs Progress

Tanjung Benoa, Bali (Antara) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has urged all stakeholders to help accelerate and expand the progress of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). "Let's do our best to use the remaining three years to accelerate and expand (the MDG progress). We should not slow down our endeavors just because there is a discussion on the new cooperation framework on the post-2015," the president said when opening a forum of the Indonesian MDG Awards (IMA) 2012 here on Tuesday. He called on all stakeholders to create better coordination to achieve the eight targets of MDGs. The MDGs, agreed by UN member nations in September 2000, consist of eight goals that have to be achieved by 2015, namely: Eradication of Extreme Poverty and Starvation; Achieving Universal Primary Education; Promotion of Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women; Reducing Child Mortality; Improvement of Maternal Health; Combating HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Other Infectious Diseases; Ensuring Sustainable Environment; and Developing a Global Partnership for Development. The United Nations (UN) has appointed President Yudhoyono as a co-chair of the High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015, to formulate a new development agenda. The other two co-chairs are British Prime Minister David Cameron and Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The 27-member Panel had previously held meetings respectively in New York (US), London (Britain) and Monrovia (Liberia). The fourth meeting is being held in Bali on March 26 and 27, 2013. The IMA 2012 are given to 18 groups representing local administrations, NGO, and the private sectors considered being the best in implementing the MDGs, and two media for the best reporting on MDGs. The Indonesian president's special envoy for MDGs, Nila F Moeloek presented the award for the category of maternal and infant health, Minister/Head of the National Development Planning Agency Armida S Alisjahbana for the category of nutrition, Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto for the category of access to clean water and sanitation, State Minister for Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Linda Amalia Sari for the category of combating HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, and Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi for the education category. Banjar (West Java), NGO Perkumpulan Persada, the Medicine Faculty's Student Executive Board of the University of Gajah Mada (UGM), and PT Pertamina Persero in Ende (West Nusa Tenggara) win the awards for the maternal and infant health category. Sleman ( Yogyakarta) wins the award for the category of access to clean water and sanitation, together with PT Indocement Tunggal Prakarsa, the Green Foundation, the State University of Semarang. For the nutrition category, the winner is Bantul (Yogyakarta). And for the education category, the winners are Payakumbuh (West Sumatra), mineral water company Aqua Group, Jember University, and NGO "Yayasan Kampung". (*)