Twenty-two development goals for SAARC launched

Monday, March 20, 2006

By Nazrul Islam

Bangladesh?s Foreign Minister, Mr. Morshed Khan has formally launched 22 development goals of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), aiming to regional poverty reduction in line with the UN millennium development goals to be reached by 2015.

?The leaders of South Asian countries are now committed to reduce poverty in a participatory manner, provide food security, guarantee livelihood, improve health care, ensure quality education and enhance environmental security,? Morshed Khan said while launching the goals in Dhaka on Thursday.

(…) ?Once the fund comes through, we shall see a poverty alleviation fund operational under the social window,? said the minister. To be reached by 2010, the SAARC development goals included eradication of hunger and poverty, halving the proportion of people in poverty in 2010 and reduction in the number of poor, adequate nutrition and access to justice, strengthening connectivity of poorer regions and of poor as social groups, reducing social and institutional vulnerability of the poor, poor people?s participation in anti-poverty policies, maternal health, child health, affordable health care, improve hygiene, access to education, functional literacy, and quality education at every level.?

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(Via OneWorld)

Source: New Kerala (link opens in a new window)