PHILIPSBURG--The two-day workshop for civil servants, private sector and non-profit organisations in St. Maarten, Saba and Statia on the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) was a huge success, coordinators said.
The workshop was organised by the Department for Economic and Development Affairs DEVCO in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and was held in St. Maarten on June 8 and 9. A public lecture was also held at University of St. Martin (USM) on June 8.
Representative of the St. Maarten Government on the MDGs Loekie Morales said the workshops had been geared towards increasing the knowledge about the MDGs on the islands and to offer guidelines for several sector policy plans.
She said the Netherlands Antilles does not have a country MDG report on the progress of development on the eight goals. Morales said the workshop had also been geared towards facilitating the preparation of the first and last Netherlands Antilles MDG report.
Prime Minister Emily de Jongh-Elhage had signed a development agreement with the UNDP on behalf of the Netherlands Antilles on June 23, 2009. The MDGs were adopted by 189 nations world wide (including the Dutch Kingdom) and have to be met by 2015.
"One important goal of the Prime Minister is to get this programme implemented within the Netherlands Antilles. Right now this is a task of [Central ed.] government (via DEVCO), but it has to be transferred to St. Maarten as soon as possible, because St. Maarten is becoming a country within the Kingdom as of 10-10-10. The transfer of tasks has to be in such a way that the islands can take over responsibilities in a smooth way."
She said the Department for Economic and Development Affairs is responsible for facilitating an efficient transfer of tasks and responsibilities from Central to the Island Governments of Curacao and St. Maarten.
The eight MDGs are to: reduce hunger and poverty; achieve primary education for all; promote gender equality and empower women; reduce child mortality, improve maternal health; reduce HIV/AIDS and other diseases; ensure environmental sustainability, and stimulate global partnership for development.
Morales said persons who want to make a "proactive contribution" to the discussions and deliver information about the MDGs can contact her at the Directorate of Programmes and Projects, tel. 542-0896. Additional information on MDGs can be obtained from Websites:
www.undp.org www.undp.org/mdg or
www.un.org/millenniumgoals
