2011 pacific regional mdgs tracking report

8/3/2019 2011 Pacific Regional MDGs Tracking Report

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2011 PACIFIC REGIONAL MDGS TRACKING REPORT 1

2011

Pacic Regional

MDGs Tracking Report


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2011 PACIFIC REGIONAL MDGS TRACKING REPORT2

Table o Contents

Acronyms and Abbreviations ii

Executive Summary iv

Part 1 Purpose o the Report 1

Background and Objectives 1

Part 2 Guidelines and Overview 4

Assessment and Data Guidelines 4

A Brie Summary o Progress 7

Part 3 Perormance on the Eight Goals 12

Goal 1 Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger 12

Goal 2 Achieve Universal Primary Education 16

Goal 3 Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women 18

Goal 4 Reduce Child Mortality 21

Goal 5 Improve Maternal Health 24

Goal 6 Combat HIV/AIDS and Other Diseases 27

HIV/AIDS 28

Malaria 31

TB 33

Goal 7 Ensure Environmental Sustainability 34

Goal 8 Develop a Global Partnership or Development 38

Part 4 A Closer Look at the Health-Related MDGs 45

Child and Maternal Health 45

HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis 48

Non-communicable Diseases 50

Health Financing 54

Key Challenges 56

Annex 1 58

Statistical Notes 58Country Tables 59

Reerences 73


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Acronyms and Abbreviations

ADB Asian Development Bank

AIDS Acquired Immune Deciency Syndrome

CKI Cook Islands

CMI College o the Marshall Islands

COFA Compact o Free Association

DAC Development Assistance Committee

DFAT Department o Foreign Aairs and Trade

DHSA Department o Health and Social Aairs

DOE Department o Education

EPPSO Economic Policy, Planning and Statistics Oce

EU European Union

FIC Forum Island Country

FPI Family Planning International

FSM Federated States o Micronesia

FY Financial Year

GAO Government Accountability Oce

HIES Household Income and Expenditure Survey

HIV Human Immunodeciency Virus

HPV Human Papillomavirus

ICT Inormation and Communication Technologies

ILO International Labour Organisation

IMF International Monetary Fund

ITA International Trade Administration

ITU International Telecommunication Union

JEMCO Joint Economic and Management Committee

LDC Least Developed Country

MDG Millennium Development GoalMECC Ministry o Environment and Climate Change

MESC Ministry o Education, Sports and Culture

MEWAC Ministry o Education, Women Aairs and Culture

MFEM Ministry o Finance and Economic Management

MHMS Ministry o Health and Medical Services

MICS Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey

MISGLB Marshall Islands Scholarship, Grant and Loan Board

MOE Ministry o Education

MOFNP Ministry o Finance and National Planning

MOH Ministry o Health

NHIS National Health Inormation System


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NSO National Statistics Oce

NTA National Telecommunications Authority

NZ New Zealand

NZAID New Zealand Agency or International Development

OECD Organisation or Economic Co-operation and Development

PALARIS Palau Automated Land and Resources Inormation System

PIFS Pacic Islands Forum Secretariat

PIRMCCM Pacic Islands Regional Multi-Country Coordinating Mechanism

PNCC Palau National Communication Corporation

PNG Papua New Guinea

RMI Republic o the Marshall Islands

SBOCStatistics, Budget and Economic Management, Overseas Development Assistance, and

Compact Management

SGS Second Generation Surveillance

SIS Smaller Island States

SOPAC Pacic Islands Applied Geoscience Commission

SPC Secretariat o the Pacic Community

SPREP Secretariat o the Pacic Regional Environment Programme

TNPF Tuvalu National Provident FundUNAIDS Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS

UNDP United Nations Development Program

UNFPA United Nations Population Fund

UNGASS United Nations General Assembly Special Session

UNICEF United Nations Childrens Fund

UNSD United Nations Statistics Division

US United States

USP University o the South Pacic

WHO World Health Organisation

WIBDI Women in Business Development Incorporated

WPP World Population Prospects

WTO World Trade Organisation

Acronyms and Abbreviations Cont


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Executive Summary

The Pacic Plan guides the regions eorts towards achiev-ing the MDGs, while the Compact on Strengthening Devel-

opment Coordination is a tool or implementing the priori-

ties o the Pacic Plan. One o the key deliverables o the

Compact is to track the progress o FICs towards achieving

the MDGs, which is the main purpose o this Report.

The MDGs assessment in this Report is not strictly made

against the global targets, as the assessments are supple-

mented by proxy data and qualitative inormation. Recent

national MDG Reports ormed the main source o the data-

set used to assess progress. However, there were many di-

culties in compiling comprehensive, quality and up-to-date

MDGs data, indicating the weaknesses o statistical capaci-

ties in the region, which requires attention.

While the MDGs assessments contained herein are debat-

able, what is unambiguous is that more concerted eort is

needed in the region to accelerate and sustain progress to-

wards achieving the MDGs by 2015.

PNGs population o around 6.7 million people means that

overall progress or the region is inextricably tied to PNGs

progress. Consequently, as PNG is o track on all the MDGs,

the region is also o track on all the goals. However, exclud-

ing PNG, the region is on track towards reducing child mor-

tality, with mixed progress on all the other goals. Polynesias

progress is comparatively better than any other sub-region,

with Micronesia not on track or any goal.

With the exception o Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa and Palau,

all countries are o track on at least one goal. PNG, Kiribati,

Solomon Islands and Nauru are not on track or any o the

goals, while Cook Islands, Niue and Palau are on track or six

o the goals.

Majority o countries are o track on poverty, ollowed by

environmental sustainability, then gender. On the other

hand, most countries were on track to reduce child mortal-

ity, ollowed by achieving universal education and improv-

ing maternal health.

The regions progress on reducing poverty is constrained by

generally low economic growth, lack o job opportunities

and rising prices. Even though good progress is made to-

wards achieving universal primary education, the quality o

education remains a concern. Similarly, while there is very

low gender disparity in education, progress on empowering

women is much slower.

On the health-related goals, the relatively low measles im-

munisation coverage needs to be addressed to sustain pro-

gress on reducing child mortality, while more concerted e-

ort is needed in ensuring universal access to reproductive

health to improve maternal health. Interventions or mater-

nal and child health are well known in the region and needsto be scaled up.

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is

instrumental in assisting countries combat the major dis-

eases. Continued support rom the Global Fund is needed

to sustain and accelerate progress towards combating HIV/

AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.

Although non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are not in-

cluded under MDG 6, majority o countries, in recognition

o its importance, have included combating NCDs as an ad-

ditional target. O the ten countries that included NCDs,

FSM, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu are o track on combatingNCDs.

On environmental sustainability, achieving energy security

remains a key priority in the region, as most countries are

highly dependent on imported ossil uels. In other areas,

access to sae drinking water and basic sanitation is a major

concern in Micronesia.

The successul achievement o the rst seven goals is criti-

cal on the support o development partners. To this end,

overseas development assistance (ODA) has doubled, with

two-thirds o ODA directed to the social inrastructure and

services sector, which includes education, health and watersupply and sanitation. However, there is room or improve-

ment or major developed trading partners to provide bet-

ter access to their markets or countries in the region.

Climate change is a critical emerging issue, with the poten-

tial to derail progress on all the goals. The adverse impact o

climate change is already being elt by some countries, such

as FSM, Kiribati and Tuvalu. Key approaches to address-

ing climate change include mainstreaming climate change

measures into national plans, improving access to climate

change unds and strengthening development coordina-

tion.

This Report makes ve broad conclusions, which serves to

reinorce the undertakings made in the Port Vila Declara-

tion. Firstly, there is a general lack o comprehensive qual-

ity data to accurately assess MDGs progress, so more eort

is needed to strengthen statistical capacities. Secondly, as

intervention strategies are generally well known in the re-

spective sectors, these need to be built upon, sustained or

scaled up. Thirdly, development partner support through

unding, technical assistance and capacity building is criti-

cal, hence, requiring better development coordination and

harmonisation. Fourthly, governments, development part-

ners, civil society organisations and the private sector needto work together. Finally, strong political leadership and

resolve towards achieving the MDGs is the catalyst towards

progress.


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PART 1

Purpose o the Report


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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Forum Leaders armed their support or the Millennium Declarationin September 2000 and later set out their Vision or the Pacic in the

Auckland Declaration o April 2004, which laid the oundation or the

Pacic Plan. Endorsed in October 2005, the Pacic Plan is designed to

strengthen Pacic regional integration and cooperation based on our

pillars economic growth, sustainable development, good governance

and security. The Pacic Plan is the oundation or the regions eorts

towards the achievement o the MDGs.

In 2009, in response to concerns that the region was o-track to achieve

the MDGs despite high levels o development assistance, Forum Lead-

ers agreed to the Cairns Compact on Strengthening Development Co-

ordination in the Pacic. The key objective o the Compact will be toimprove the coordination and use o available development resources

with the aim o achieving real progress against the MDGs. The Compact

is a tool or implementing the priorities o the Pacic Plan. Forum Lead-

ers commitment to the achievement o the MDGs was urther strength-

ened in 2010 in the Port Vila Declaration on Accelerating Progress on the

Achievement o the MDGs (see Box 1).

One o the main deliverables under the Compact on Strengthening De-

velopment Coordination is to provide an annual Pacic Regional MDGs

Tracking Report. This Report is the second Pacic Regional MDGs Track-

ing Report.

The principal purpose o the Report is to assess the progress made by

FICs towards achieving the MDGs by 2015. As latest data are not availa-

ble on a timely basis and considering that policy interventions take time

to be reected in the data, the MDGs assessment is unlikely to change

markedly on an annual basis. For this reason, thematic ocus areas are

chosen to elaborate on pertinent issues.

At the February 2011 Forum Compact on Strengthening Development

Coordination in the Pacic Regional Workshop, Health was chosen as

the main thematic ocus or this years Report. The emphasis on Health

was chosen due to its centrality in the achievement o all the MDGs and

because the 2010 Pacic Regional MDGs Tracking Report indicated that a

cluster o countries were o track on the health-related MDGs. A wealth

o inormation is contained in the 2010 Regional MDGs Report and much

o it remains valid, particularly with regards to the challenges, emerging

issues and measures needed to accelerate progress. Consequently, only

a ew key areas in this regard are briey highlighted in this Report.

A major component in the preparation o this Report was to validate and

update the MDGs dataset. This proved to be a tremendous exercise, giv-

en that data or the MDG indicators were not easily accessible and there

were quality concerns with available data. For some indicators, data was

not available at all. Thereore, as was the case or this Report, a key objec-

tive or subsequent Reports will be to improve on the dataset rom which

assessments are made.

The Pacic Plan is the oundationor the regions eorts towards

achieving the MDGs.

The Compact on Strengthening

Development Coordination is

a tool or implementing the

priorities o the Pacic Plan.

One o the key deliverables o the

Compact is to track the progress

o FICs towards achieving the

MDGs.

Continuous improvement othe MDGs dataset is a major

objective.


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Box 1. Port Vila Declaration on Accelerating Progress on the Achievement o the MDGs (Extract)

Hereby rearm our intention to achieve improved standards o living and human wellbeing as measured by the

Millennium Development Goals and commit to:

ContinuetolocalisetheMillenniumDevelopmentGoalsintonationalandregionalplans,programsandpriori-

tise budgets with particular ocus on those that have the greatest consequences or Pacic Island Peoples;

AdvocateforthespecialneedsofSmallIslandDevelopingStatestoensurethedevelopmentandpursuitof

appropriate and sustainable policies and program responses, including through the use o international plat-

orms such as the BPoA and MSI that articulate an agreed special case or SIDS;

CoordinateeortstosupporttheachievementoftheMillenniumDevelopmentGoals,drawingontheprinci-

ples o the Paris Declaration on Aid Eectiveness, the Accra Agenda or Action and the Pacic Principles on Aid

Eectiveness, as actioned through the Cairns Compact on Strengthening Development Coordination in the

Pacic, itsel endorsed by Forum Leaders at their annual meeting in 2009;

Consistent with these commitments we call on our Development Partners to:

Workwithustoimmediatelyidentifyanddevelopmajornewactivitiesandprogramstoexpeditetheachieve-

ment o the Millennium Development Goals;

DeliveronpledgestoscaleupaidandtochannelashareoftheseincreasedresourcestoPacicIslandCoun-

tries towards accelerated Millennium Development Goal eorts;

Honourcommitmentsundervariousandrelevantinternationalandregionalarrangements,suchasParisDec-

laration on Aid Eectiveness and Accra Agenda or Action, and Pacic Principles on Aid Eectiveness, and ac-

tively engage with regional eorts such as the Cairns Compact on Strengthening Development Coordination

in the Pacic, which aim to improve the eectiveness o development eorts through greater transparency and

better governance o national and development partner resources;

Strengthen theirsupport toPacicIsland Countries towards achieving sustainabledevelopment bymain-

streaming the MSI and BPoA into programmatic work plans o development partners, including the regional

banks, Bretton Woods Institutions and the UN system, including through development o vulnerability and

resilience indices; and

Supportthestrengtheningofnationalsystemsindatacollectionincludingdisaggregateddata,analysisand

dissemination.

We strongly urge non-governmental organisations, civil society, the private sector and other stakeholders at the

local, national, regional and international levels to join us in redoubling eorts towards achieving this objective.

We, the Leaders o the Pacic Islands Forum, commit ourselves and our governments to implementing this Decla-

ration with the intention o accelerating progress to achieving the Millennium Development Goals in the interesto all Pacic Peoples allowing them to enjoy peaceul, prosperous, secure and ullling lives.

Source: PIFS (2010)


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Furthermore, as the MDGs span a wide range o areas, it is out o

the scope o this Report and technical capacity o PIFS to provide

very detailed in-depth analysis and policy recommendations on

each o the issues or each o the goals. However, such analysis

are undertaken and reported by respective technical agencies,

such as the UN agencies, SPC (including SOPAC), SPREP, WHO,

ADB, World Bank, IMF and other independent research bodies.

Thereore, to this end, the purpose o the Report is to highlight

the key developments undertaken under each Goal at the region-

al and national level and, where applicable, report the major nd-

ings o recent research.

Finally, one o the other major purposes o the Regional MDGs Re-

port is or raising public awareness and social mobilisation. With

the 2015 deadline drawing closer, the annual Report serves as a

tool or renewed regional and national political commitment, as

well as advocating or wider participation by all stakeholders to-

wards accelerating progress towards achieving the MDGs.

The Report is outlined as ollows: Part 2 discusses the assessment

guidelines and MDGs data construction; Part 3 provides the MDGs

assessment on each o the goals based on the latter guidelines

and Part 4 elaborates urther on the major issues related to the

health-related MDGs, including NCDs. Detailed country data are

provided in Annex 1.

It is out o the scope o this Report

to provide detailed in-depth analysis

and policy recommendations on each

goal; Instead, key developments are

highlighted.

The Report is important or raising

public awareness and social

mobilisation.


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PART 2

Guidelines and Overview


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ASSESSMENT AND DATA GUIDELINES

The MDGs are intended as global targets and not every country is ex-

pected to achieve the specic Targets. It is in this overall context that

the MDGs assessment is made or each o the countries. For some FICs,

given their baselines, it would be unrealistic to expect the achievement

o the Targets. In addition, or all countries, there is a lack o comprehen-

sive data on all the MDG indicators, and where data is available, there

are concerns about the quality o the data. Given these shortcomings,

proxy data, as well as qualitative inormation, supplement the MDGs as-

sessment. Qualitative inormation includes level o government com-

mitment, donor support, as well as good initiatives in place towards

achieving the MDGs.

In the preparation o this Report, the dataset or the 2010 Pacic Region-

al MDGs Tracking Report was reviewed, rened and updated. Since the

release o the 2010 Regional MDGs Report, several countries nalised

their second national MDG Report (PNG, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu,

Solomon Islands), while FSM completed their rst national MDG Report.

These Reports ormed the main source o the MDGs dataset used to as-

sess progress (see Appendix 1).

For countries that had not released a recent national MDG Report, up-

dates were sourced primarily rom national sources. Global sources or

MDGs data, particularly the UN Statistics Divisions MDGs Indicators Da-

tabase, was used when national data was not available. The MDGs data-

set was cross-checked and veried against the metadata or the MDG

indicators to ensure consistency and comparability across time or each

country.

Given that global data sources usually transormed national data to en-

sure comparability across countries, it would not be comparable against

nationally-sourced data. To this end, as much as possible, the same

source (either national or global) or which the most up-to-date data

was available was used to update the indicator or each country. For

cases where national and global sources both reported data or the lat-

est year, national sources were preerred. However, in doing so, the data

presented in this Report is not strictly comparable across countries.

Signicant corrections and updates were made to the dataset used inthe 2010 Regional MDGs Report. However, there is likely to be remaining

quality issues in the current dataset, which will be continuously improved

upon in subsequent Reports. The diculties in compiling up-to-date

quality MDGs data or the FICs highlight the weaknesses o statistical ca-

pacities in the region. For the purposes o accurately tracking countries

MDGs progress, but more importantly, or the ormulation o appropri-

ate development policies, it is imperative that more concerted regional

and national eort is made to strengthen the collection, reporting and

maintenance o statistics.

The MDGs assessments also account or countries own appraisals, partic-

ularly or those that have recently completed their national MDG reports.In most cases, countries use proxy data and qualitative inormation to

assess their progress against the MDGs. These actors are accounted or

in the overall assessment. However, there are occasions when the recent

The MDGs assessment in thisReport is not strictly made

against the global targets; Proxy

data and qualitative inormation

supplement the assessments.

Recent national MDG Reports

ormed the main source o the

dataset used to assess progress.

Although comparable across time

or each country, data presented

in this Report is not strictly

comparable across countries.

Diculties in compiling MDGs

data indicate the weaknesses o

statistical capacities in the region;

More eort needed to strengthen

statistical systems.


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national assessment is dierent rom that contained in this Report. This

could be because o dierences in data and/or accounting or recent in-

country inormation rom relevant technical agencies.

Thereore, as the MDGs assessments are not solely based on quantitative

indicators, it is open to interpretation. Although a balanced approachwas taken to make the nal assessment, there may be cases where the

assessment is considered to be either too optimistic or too pessimistic.

Regardless, it is clear that across all countries, eorts to accelerate pro-

gress towards achieving the MDGs need to be scaled up. For FICs that

have made good progress, sustaining these outcomes is a challenge in

itsel. Support rom development partners is crucial in this regard.

Based on the Assessment Guidelines (See Box 2), the ollowing MDGs

progress classication is used:

On track (good progress)O track (insucient progress)

Mixed (uneven and/or inconsistent progress)

Insucient inormation

An on track assessment does not necessarily indicate that the country

will achieve the quantitative target by 2015. Instead, it means that good

progress was made towards achieving the MDGs:

(i) Latest data is either below the global target or recording modest to

signicant increments in the right direction.

(ii) Proxy data and qualitative inormation (strong government com-

mitment and/or development partner support, good initiatives in

place) indicate good progress.

An o track assessment indicates insucient progress towards achiev-

ing the MDGs. In other words:

(i) Data is trending in the wrong direction or recording marginal in-crements in the right direction.

The MDGs assessment is not

based solely on quantitative

indicators; countries own

appraisals, proxy data and

qualitative inormation also used.

While the assessments are

debatable, what it is clear is thatconcerted eort is needed to

accelerate and sustain progress.

On track indicates good progress

towards achieving the MDGs,

not necessarily the quantitative

targets.

Box 2. MDGs Assessment Guidelines

In orming the nal MDGs assessment or each country the ollowing are taken into account:

1. How does the baseline and latest data compare with the MDG Target, developing country averages and theglobal target or developing countries?

2. Is it realistic to expect that the country will achieve the quantitative target?

3. Is the data trending in the right direction?

4. Are there any issues with the quality o the data?

5. What are the trends in proxy data or qualitative inormation rom national and technical sources indicating?

6. What are the countries own assessment on this target? Does the basis or the countries own assessment still

hold?

For cases where recent data has regressed, comparisons are made to the baseline data, as well as considering the Assessment Guidelines, beore fnalising a countrys assessment.


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O track may indicate weak

government commitment and

lack o initiatives in place.

Mixed progress indicates uneven

and/or inconsistent progress;

Equal attention needed or mixed

and o track progress.

Regional and sub-regional

assessments are qualitative,

based on each countrys progress

and weighted by population.

Samoa and Tongas results

inuence Polynesias assessment;

FSM and Kiribati or Micronesia

and Fiji or Melanesia (excluding

PNG).

(ii) Proxy data and qualitative inormation (weak government com-

mitment and/or development partner support, lack o initiatives in

place) indicate insucient progress.

In the 2010 Regional MDGs Report, yellow signied slightly o-track.

The change in this Report to use mixed progress was to adequately cap-ture a countrys progress, where there are dierent Targets under each

goal. The overall assessment o each Goal is based on the perormance

o each o the Targets. I a countrys progress on one o the Targets was

on track but was o track on the other, the overall assessment would

be mixed. For instance, a countrys progress on MDG 3 (promote gen-

der equality and empower women) would be assessed as mixed i the

country was on track with the gender parity target but o track with

the empowerment indicators. Similarly, the assessment on each Target

would be based on the perormance o each o the quantitative indica-

tors, as well as other inormation, in line with the Assessment Guidelines.

A mixed assessment indicates:

(i) Uneven progress: good progress on some indicators but insu-

cient progress in others.

(ii) Inconsistent progress: initially, insucient/slow progress but good

progress more recently; initially, good progress but insucient/

slow progress more recently .

Thereore, equal attention or accelerating progress towards the MDGs

should be placed on areas with mixed progress, as well as those register-

ing o track.

MDGs assessments are also made by sub-region (Polynesia, Micronesia,

Melanesia), as well as or the entire region. Given the population size oPNG, an assessment or Melanesia and the entire region is provided with

and without the inclusion o PNG. These assessments are qualitative

and are based on the progress o each o the countries, weighted by the

population size (as most o the MDG indicators are based on population).

Thereore, as PNG is by ar the most populous country in the region, the

regions, as well as Melanesias progress, is inevitably tied to that o PNGs.

For the Polynesian sub-grouping, as Samoa and Tonga have the largest

populations, their assessments inuence the overall assessment or Poly-

nesia. Thereore, i the two countries are both on track on a particular

goal, Polynesia will also be assessed as on track, irrespective o the per-

ormance o the assessments in Cook Islands, Niue and Tuvalu. Similarly,or Micronesia, FSM and Kiribatis assessment strongly inuences the

overall assessment o the sub-region. For Melanesia (excluding PNG),

Fijis assessment has a strong inuence on the results.

On MDG 8 (global partnership or development), this Report recognises

that the premise o goal 8 was that developing countries would ocus

on achieving the rst seven goals, while the developed countries would

support these eorts through increased aid ows, airer market access,

debt relie, as well as ensuring access to aordable essential drugs and

ICT. Thereore, countries are not assessed on progress towards the over-

all goal, but assessments are made or ensuring debt sustainability and

access to aordable essential drugs and ICT. However, trends in aid owsand market access are discussed.


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A BRIEF SUMMARY OF PROGRESS

PNGs population o around 6.7 million people means that overall pro-

gress or the region towards the MDGs is determined by the progress

in PNG (Table 2). Consequently, as PNG is o track on all the goals, as a

whole, the region is also o track on all the MDGs. By the same exten-

sion, Melanesia is also o track on all the goals. However, excluding PNG,

the region is on track towards reducing child mortality, with mixed pro-

gress recorded or all the other goals. The encouraging result on MDG

4 is led by the low levels o child and inant mortality in Fiji, the second

most populous country, as well as in Vanuatu, the ourth most populous

FIC.

Polynesias progress is comparatively better than the other sub-regions,

as it is on track to achieve our o the goals achieving universal pri-

mary education, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health

and ensuring environmental sustainability. In contrast, Micronesia is not

on track or any goal, o track on the poverty goal, with mixed progress

noted on the other MDGs.

At the country level, with the exception o Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa and

Palau, all FICs are o track on at least one goal. PNG, Kiribati, Solomon Is-

lands and Nauru are not on track or any o the goals, while Cook Islands,

Niue and Palau are on track or six o the goals. Majority o countries

are o track on poverty, ollowed by environmental sustainability, then

gender. On the other hand, most FICs recorded on track or reducing

child mortality, ollowed by achieving universal education and improv-

ing maternal health.

As a result o PNGs progress,

the region is o track on all the

goals. Excluding PNG, the region

is on track towards reducing child

mortality, with mixed progress on

all the other goals.

Polynesias progress is

comparatively better than any

other sub-region, with Micronesia

not on track or any goal.


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Table 2 Progress Towards the MDGs

MDG 1

Eliminate

Extreme Povertyand Hunger

MDG 2

Achieve

UniversalPrimary

Education

MDG 3

Promote Gender

Equality and

EmpowerWomen

MDG 4

Reduce ChildMortality

MDG 5

ImproveMaternal Health

MDG 6

Combat HIV/

AIDS and OtherDiseases

MDG 7

Ensure

EnvironmentalSustainability

Melanesia O track O track O track O track O track O track O track

Melanesia (excl PNG) Mixed Mixed O track On track Mixed Mixed Mixed

Fiji O track On track Mixed On track On track Mixed On track

PNG O track O track O track O track O track O track O track

Solomon Is Mixed Mixed O track O track O track Mixed O track

Vanuatu Mixed Mixed O track On track Mixed On track O track

Micronesia O track Mixed Mixed Mixed Mixed Mixed Mixed

FSM O track Mixed Mixed Mixed O track Mixed On track

Kiribati O track Mixed Mixed Mixed Mixed Mixed O track

Marshall Is O track Mixed Mixed On track On track O track Mixed

Nauru Insucient ino O track Mixed O track Mixed Mixed O track

Palau Mixed On track On track On track On track On track On track

Polynesia Mixed On track Mixed On track On track Mixed On track

Cook Is On track On track On track On track On track On track Mixed

Niue On track On track On track On track On track On track Mixed

Samoa Mixed On track Mixed On track Mixed Mixed On track

Tonga Mixed On track O track On track On track On track On track

Tuvalu O track On track Mixed On track On track Mixed Mixed

FICs O track O track O track O track O track O track O track

FICs (excl PNG) Mixed Mixed Mixed On track Mixed Mixed Mixed

Note: The arrows denote improvement () or regression () rom the assessment in the 2010 Pacic Regional MDGs Tracking Report. Given the dierences in the dataset and

assessment guidelines used in the two Reports, this is provided or indicative purposes only as the assessments are not strictly comparable.


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The regions progress on MDG1 is constrained by generally low eco-

nomic growth, lack o job opportunities and rising prices. Even though

good progress is made in majority o FICs towards MDG 2, the quality o

education remains a concern. In addition, although gains were made

towards gender parity in education, progress on empowering women is

much slower.

On the health-related goals, the relatively low measles immunisation

coverage needs to be addressed to sustain progress on reducing child

mortality, while more concerted eort is needed in ensuring universal

access to reproductive health to improve maternal health. Interventions

or maternal and child health are well known in the region and needs to

be scaled up. For MDG 6, regional and national intervention strategies

are in place to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB but are highly depend-

ent on the support and unding rom donors. Although NCDs is not in-

cluded under MDG 6, majority o FICs, in recognition o its importance,

have included combating NCDs as an additional target. O the ten coun-

tries that included NCDs, our countries are o track on combating NCDs.

With regards to environmental sustainability, achieving energy security

remains a key priority in the region, as most FICs are highly dependent

on imported ossil uels. In other areas, access to sae drinking water and

basic sanitation is a major concern in Micronesia. On goal 8, while aid

ows have increased to the region, better access to developed country

markets are needed to bolster FIC exports. Overall, the region is not ac-

ing any major debt problems.

In assessing the regional progress towards the MDGs, ve main conclu-

sions can be drawn:

(i) There is a general lack o comprehensive quality data to assess pro-

gress, so more eort is needed to strengthen statistical capacities.

(ii) As intervention strategies are generally well known in the respec-

tive sectors, these need to be built upon, sustained or scaled up.

(iii) Development partner support through unding, technical assis-

tance and capacity building is critical, hence, requiring better de-

velopment coordination and harmonisation.

(iv) Governments, development partners, CSOs and the private sector

need to work together.

(v) Strong political leadership and resolve towards achieving the

MDGs is the catalyst towards progress.

Countries that are making good progress towards the MDGs either have

most o these elements in place or are working towards achieving them.

These conclusions are not new but serve to reinorce the ndings o the

2010 Regional MDGs Report, as well as the undertakings made in the

Port Vila Declaration.

Finally, a critical emerging issue that has implications on the achieve-

ment o all the MDGs is climate change (see Box 3). ADB (2010) noted

that climate change has the potential to prevent Pacic countries rom

attaining the MDGs, as well as posing threats to peace, prosperity and

security. The adverse impact o climate change is already being elt insome countries.

Five Conclusions

Improve statistics.

Build, sustain and scale

up activities. Strengthen

development coordination.

Stakeholders to work together.

Political leadership and resolve.

Climate change a critical

emerging issue; potential to derail

MDGs progress.


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Box 3. The Impact o Climate Change on the MDGs

MDG 1 Eradicate Extreme Poverty and

Hunger

Agricultural production and ood security, access to clean and

abundant water resources and gainul employment that un-

derpin the solution to extreme poverty and hunger are vulner-

able to climate change.

MDG 2

Achieve Universal Primary Edu-

cation

Climate change stresses pose additional burdens on agricul-

tural production and other subsistence activities like water

collection, which may burden amilies enough to remove chil-

dren rom school. Livelihood activities must become more re-

silient to uture climate or education goals to be met. Climate

change also threatens to destroy inrastructure (e.g. schools)

and increase the displacement and migration o amilies thus

disrupting and limiting education opportunities.

MDG 3Promote Gender Equality and

Empower Women

Women, the majority o the worlds poor, are the most vulner-

able to climate change. Their traditional roles as the primary us-

ers and managers o natural resources, primary caregivers, and

unpaid labourers mean they are involved in and dependant on

resources that are put most at risk by climate change. Further,

women lack rights and access to resources and inormation vi-

tal to overcoming the challenges posed by climate change.

MDG 4

MDG 5

MDG 6

Reduce Child Mortality

Improve Maternal Health

Combat HIV/AIDS and Other

Diseases

Climate change will worsen health primarily through: increasedvulnerability to poor health due to reduced ood security and

water security; water-borne diseases associated with reduced

water quality due to oods and drought; more avourable con-

ditions or the spread o vector-borne and air-borne diseases;

and the direct link between temperatures and heat stress.

MDG 7Ensure Environmental Sustain-

ability

Climate change threatens environmental sustainability be-

cause it will cause undamental alterations in ecosystem rela-

tionships, change the quality and quantity o available natural

resources, & reduce ecosystem productivity. The poor depend

on these resources or their day-to-day survival and livelihoods

in many parts o the developing world.

MDG 8Global Partnerships or Devel-

opment

Climate change threatens to exacerbate current challenges to

the achievement o the MDGs. Funding or development and

adaptation must be greatly increased to meet the needs o the

poor.

Source: UNDP (2011)

Adaptation measures aim to reduce the consequences o climate change, while mitigation measures aims to reduce the rate at which climate occurs (ADB, 2010).


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With the highest point at about 4.5m, Tuvalu is considered to be one

o the most vulnerable countries in the world to climate change and is

reportedly experiencing ooding rom high tides more requently each

year (Bateman, 2011). Consequently, many Tuvaluans are migrating

rom the island. For Tuvalu, climate change has emerged as a major s-

cal, social, and existential challenge (IMF, 2011c). In Kiribati, as a result

o climate change, coastline erosion recurrently disrupts transportation

lielines. According to the IMF (2011a), as a result o the vulnerabilities

to climate change, coupled with other challenges Kiribati is acing, the

ull achievement o the MDGs is likely out o reach. FSM declared a na-

tionwide state o emergency in 2008, as ooding related to high tides

disrupted crops and groundwater sources, resulting in a shortage o

ood and water supplies (Fletcher & Richmond, 2010). In 2010, in an in-

ternational landmark case, FSM challenged the Czech Republics plans to

expand a coal red power station (Oatman, 2011). Although the Czech

Government eventually endorsed its plan, it recognised FSM as an a-

ected state, and the case could pave the way or other countries to con-test the eects o potential energy projects around the world.

At their meeting in August 2010, Forum Leaders re-emphasised the im-

portance o climate change as it remained the greatest threat to the

livelihoods, security and well-being o the peoples o the Pacic (PIFS,

2010). Addressing climate change requires a multi-level collaborative

approach. I not addressed urgently, the impact o climate change has

the potential to signicantly derail progress towards the MDGs.

The Pacic Islands Framework or Action on Climate Change (PIFACC)

was endorsed in 2005 and set the platorm or addressing the impact o

climate change. Following a comprehensive mid-term review, a revised

Framework is expected to be presented to the 22nd SPREP Meeting o

Ocials scheduled or September 2011.

Addressing the limited national capacities to address the impact o

climate change, mainstreaming climate change into national develop-

ment plans, improving access to climate change unds and strengthen-

ing coordination on climate change response activities are key ocus

areas (CROP, 2011). Climate change nancing is critical or designing

and implementing adaptation and mitigation coping measures. The UN

Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) provides a range

o nancial mechanisms, including the Global Environment Fund (GEF),

Kyoto Protocol Adaptation Fund, the LDC Fund and the Special Climate

Change Fund . However, countries still nd it dicult to access and man-

age unds. Options or accessing and using climate change nancing

are currently being examined, and it is widely recognised that eective

development coordination and harmonisation is crucial in this area.

Adverse impact o climate changealready being elt by some

countries.

Mainstreaming climate change

measures into national plans,

better access to climate change

unds and improved coordinationare some key issues.

More recently, in December 2010, the UN Climate Talks concluded with a set o decisions known as the Cancun Agreements, which included the establishment o a Green Climate Fund ( WRI, 2011)


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PART 3

Perormance on the Eight Goals


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GOAL 1 Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger

As noted in the 2010 Report, extreme poverty, dened as the proportion

o the population living below US$1.25 a day, is largely considered irrele-

vant in the Pacic context due to the generally high dependence on sub-

sistence living and entrenched traditional social saety nets (subsistence

afuence). Instead, poverty is viewed rom the perspective o hardship

and lack o opportunity, in other words, poverty o opportunity. This

is measured by the percentage o people living below the basic needs

poverty line (BNPL).

The vast majority o the regions poor, around 2 million people, live in

PNG, the most populous FIC. The remaining FICs account or roughly 0.6

million o the poor. Inevitably, FICs progress on MDG1 is thus inuenced

by PNGs progress. Consequently, as PNG is o track to meet MDG1, FICs

are also considered o track (Table 2).

Nevertheless, PNG reported a slight reduction in the proportion o peo-

ple living below the BNPL, rom 30 percent in 1996 to an estimated 28

percent in 2009 (Table 3), making PNG on track to achieve its national

target o 27 percent by 2015.

Excluding PNG, the results or FICs progress on MDG1 is mixed, with

most countries o track on halving the number o people living below

the BNPL and achieving ull employment (Table 4). On a positive note,

the region (excluding PNG) is on track to halve the proportion o people

suering rom hunger, with a generally low level o ood poverty in most

countries (Table 5).

The incidence o basic needs poverty, excluding PNG, is still the highest

in Melanesia, given the population sizes and poverty rates in Fiji, Solo-

mon Islands and Vanuatu. Fiji is o track to meet MDG 1, while Solomon

Islands and Vanuatu have reported mixed results. However, Vanuatu

is on track to meet Target 1.a., with a relatively low level (15.9%) o the

population living below the BNPL.

Poverty o opportunity ratherthan extreme poverty is relevant

in the Pacic context.

Approximately 2 million people

are living in poverty in PNG,

about three-quarters o the poor

in the region.

Most countries o track on

halving the number o people

living below the BNPL and

achieving ull employment;

however, low level o ood

poverty in the region (excluding

PNG).

In recognition that it could not achieve the MDG target o halving the proportion o people living below the BNPL by 2015, PNG set a more realistic national target in 2003-04.


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Table 2 Progress towards MDG 1

MDG 1

ELIMINATE EXTREME

POVERTY & HUNGER

TARGET 1.A.

Halve, between

1990 and 2015, the

proportion o the

population living below

the basic needs poverty

line

TARGET 1.B.

Achieve ull and

productive employment

and decent work or all,

including women and

young people

TARGET 1.C.

Halve, between

1990 and 2015, the

proportion o people

who suer rom hunger

Melanesia O track O track O track O track

Melanesia (excl PNG) Mixed Mixed O track On track

Fiji O track O track O track On track

PNG O track O track O track O track

Solomon Is Mixed Mixed O track On track

Vanuatu Mixed On track O track O track

Micronesia O track O track O track Insucient ino

FSM O track O track O track Insucient ino

Kiribati O track O track O track Insucient ino

Marshall Is O track O track O track O track

Nauru Insucient ino Insucient ino Insucient ino Insucient ino

Palau Mixed Mixed Mixed On track

Polynesia Mixed O track Mixed On track

Cook Is On track On track On track On track

Niue On track On track Insucient ino On track

Samoa Mixed O track Mixed On track

Tonga Mixed O track Mixed On track

Tuvalu O track O track O track On track

FICs O track O track O track O track

FICs (excl PNG) Mixed O track O track On track


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Micronesian countries are o track to achieve MDG 1, particularly on tar-

gets on poverty and employment levels. There is insucient inorma-

tion or most Micronesian countries to make an assessment on hunger.

Although there is hardly any data available or Nauru on the MDG 1 in-

dicators, it is likely that Nauru is o track given the economic hardships

the country is acing.

The results or Polynesian countries are mixed but more avourable than

the other sub-regions. The lowest incidence o poverty (approximately

190 people) is in Niue, the least populous country. Niue and the Cook

Islands are the only FICs on track to achieve MDG 1.

The regions progress on MDG1 is constrained by generally low economic

growth, lack o job opportunities and rising prices. In the last ve years,

FICs (excluding PNG) experienced either declining or marginal to nega-

tive growth rates, recording an average growth o 0.8 percent (Figure 1).

In addition, the growth rate o per capita GDP was negative or the same

period, indicating a decline in household incomes.

A contributing actor to the adverse economic growth outcomes was the

negative impact o the global nancial crisis and the preceding interna-

tional ood and uel crises. Various natural disasters also curbed growth

or aected countries, particularly Samoa (tsunami) and Fiji (cyclones).

Niue and the Cook Islands are the

only countries on track to achieve

MDG 1.

Table 3

TARGET 1.A.

Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion o the population living below the basic needs poverty line

Basic needs poverty (%) Poverty gap ratio (%) Poorest quintile in national consumption (%)

Earliest Latest Earliest Latest Earliest Latest

MELANESIA

Fiji 35 (2002) 31 (2008) 8 (2002) 9 (2008)

PNG 30 (1990e) 28 (2009e) 9 (1990e) 9 (2009e) 5 (1990e) 5 (2009e)

Solomon Is 23 (2006) ... 8 (2006) 7 (2006)

Vanuatu 16 (2006) 6 (2006) 7 (2006)

MICRONESIA

FSM 28 (1998) 31 (2005) 10 (1998) 9 (2005) 9 (2005)

Kiribati 22 (2006) 7 (2006) 6 (1996) 8 (2006)

Marshall Is 2 (1999) 3 (2002e)

Nauru 12 (2006)

Palau 25 (2006) 7 (2006) 10 (2006)

POLYNESIA

Cook Is 28 (2006)

Niue 13 (2002) 0 (2002) 7 (2002)

Samoa 23 (2002) 27 (2008) 7 (2002) 8 (2008) 5 (2002) 4 (2008)

Tonga 16 (2001) 23 (2009) 8 (2001) 8 (2004) 9 (2001) 10 (2009)

Tuvalu 23 (1994) 20 (2010) 8 (1994) 6 (2010) 7 (1994) 8 (2010)

MDG 1

ELIMINATE EXTREME POVERTY & HUNGER

Figure 1 FICs - Real GDP Growth Rate1

12.0

10.0

8.0

6.0

4.0

2.0

0.0

-2.0

%

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012


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TARGET 1.B.

Achieve ull and productive employment and decent work or all, including women and young people

Growth rate o GDP per person employed (%) Employment-to-population ratio (%)Employed living below $1 (PPP)

per day (%)

Own-account and unpaid amily

workers (%)

Earliest Latest Earliest Latest Earliest Latest Earliest Latest

MELANESIA

Fiji 56 (1996) 50 (2007) 39 (2005)

PNG

Solomon Is 23 (1999)

Vanuatu 1 (1995-99) 3 (2005-08) 77 (1999) 71 (2006) 4 (2006)

MICRONESIA

FSM 0 (2009) 44 (1994) 59 (2000)

Kiribati

Marshall Is 29 (1997) 35 (2008) 27 (1999)

Nauru 84 (2002)

Palau POLYNESIA

Cook Is -1 (2008) 63 (2008)

Niue 86 (2006) 13 (2006)

Samoa 3 (1999) 5 (2009) 25 (2001) 30 (2009)

Tonga 6 (2004) 5 (2008) 53 (1990) 56 (2006) 57 (1996)

Tuvalu 3 (1998) 0 (2007) 27 (1991) 34 (2004) 8 (1991) 19 (2004)

TARGET 1.C.Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion o people who suer rom hunger

Underweight children under age 5 (%) Food poverty (%)

Earliest Latest Earliest Latest

MELANESIA

Fiji 7 (1993) 7 (2008) 7 (2002) 8 (2008)

PNG 23 (2009e)

Solomon Is 12 (2007) 9 (2006)

Vanuatu 11 (1996) 12 (2007) 10 (1990-92) 7 (2004-06)

MICRONESIA

FSM 13 (1989) 15 (2005) 11 (1998) 13 (2005)

Kiribati 5 (2006)

Marshall Is 19 (1991) 13 (2007)

Nauru 5 (2007)

Palau 0 (2006)

POLYNESIA

Cook Is 2 (2006)

Niue 0 (2002) 0 (2002)

Samoa 7 (1990) 2 (1999) 11 (2002) 5 (2008)

Tonga 2 (1986) 2 (1999) 2 (2001) 2 (2009)

Tuvalu 2 (2007) 6 (1994) 4 (2004)

Note: See detailed country tables in Annex 1 or sources. Data not available.


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Although there is sparse data on employment or FICs, it is likely that

with subdued economic growth perormances, employment generation

is increasingly dicult. Data available or Fiji, FSM and RMI indicate that

unemployment rates have increased. The unemployment rate in the RMI

is currently estimated at 30.9 percent . However, the seasonal worker

programs provided by Australia and NZ, and more recently, the US , are

providing crucial avenues or employment and income, as well as remit-

tance transers.

At the same time, countries across the region are experiencing rising in-

ation, ollowing high global ood and uel prices (Figure 2). Several FICs

posted double digit ination at the peak o the crises in 2008, with Solo-

mon Islands ination soaring to 17.3 percent during that year.

Although most FIC economies are expected to recover in the years

ahead, employment conditions are unlikely to improve markedly to nar-

row the gap in demand or jobs. Furthermore, the risk o high ination

is anticipated to persist given the projected increase in global ood anduel prices. As a result, the poverty situation is unlikely to improve sig-

nicantly.

Pacic island countries recognise the importance o raising economic

growth to improve living standards. At the macroeconomic level, gen-

erally, governments are ocused on public nancial reorms, structural

reorms and promoting private sector led growth. Most countries also

have varying social protection initiatives to address poverty. Samoa,

with the assistance o development partners, is currently conducting

studies to ormulate specic pro-poor policies.

In addition, regional initiatives have been developed to combat rising

ood and uel prices. A Framework or Food Security in the Pacic 2011-

2015 was developed in the 2010 Pacic Food Summit with the aim that

the region be sel-sucient in ood supply. Similarly, Pacic Energy Min-

isters endorsed the Framework or Action on Energy Security in the Pa-

cic in April 2011.

Across the Pacic, civil society organisations, particularly NGOs (see Box

4) and religious groups, play an important role in the ght against pov-

erty. Given the limited resources o governments, these organisations

ll an important gap in reaching poor, vulnerable and marginalised com-

munities, oten working with women to alleviate poverty.

Tackling poverty made hard by

low economic growth, lack o job

opportunities and rising prices.

Given stretched government

resources, CSOs play a vital role in

lling the gap in the ght against

poverty.

Source: ADB.

The Australian Pacifc Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme is limited to Kiribati, Tonga, Vanuatu, and PNG. The NZ Recognised Seasonal Employment program is open to FSM, Kiribati, Nauru, Tuvalu,

Palau, PNG, RMI, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. The US added Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, PNG, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu to designated countries eligible or non-immigrant

visa programs.


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Box 4. NGOs Focused on Community-led Approach to Poverty Alleviation Examples rom Fiji and Samoa

FIJI The Foundation or Rural and Integrated Enterprises & Development or FRIEND, a non-government organisation,

was set up in 2001 with the main objective o working with the rural and marginalised communities to alleviate

poverty through social and economic empowerment. FRIENDs programs are based on a participatory process, en-couraging communities to take ownership o their own development to escape rom the poverty cycle and improve

their living standards.

One o their well known programs, Developing Enterprises or Sustainable Income (DESI), ocuses on providing indi-

viduals and communities with the opportunity to earn income using available resources and their existing skills to

beat poverty. Through DESI, FRIEND provides assistance with the production, packaging, sales and marketing o the

products under their Friends Fiji Style brand. FRIENDs other three programs target the youth, health and govern-

ance at a community-level. In 2007, UN Habitat recognised FRIENDs work by listing it as a Good Practice in its Best

Practices Database in Improving the Living Environment in the area o poverty reduction, social services and urban

governance.

SAMOA One o the rst non-government organisations o its kind, Women in Business Development Incorporated

(WIBDI) was set up in 1991 to initially promote and advance the economic and business status o urban women.

WIBDI has since evolved to uncovering income-generating opportunities or rural amilies. Given the strong amily

culture in Samoa, WIBDI ocuses its programs on individual amilies instead o whole village communities or indi-

viduals alone.

Committed to poverty alleviation and sustainable development, WIBDI assists individual amilies use local products,

traditional knowledge, technology and trade to generate income. WIBDI provides skills training (handicrat, print-

ing etc), ne mat weaving programs, as well as assistance with organic certication o arms, air trade labelling and

establishing niche export markets or products. For example, WIBDI assisted rural Samoan coee growers to success-

ully sell and package their organic product to a coee house in NZ.

Sources: FRIEND (2011), WIBDI (2011)


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GOAL 2 Achieve Universal Primary Education

The progress o FICs (excluding PNG) towards achieving universal pri-

mary education is mixed (Table 6). Although the net primary school en-

rolment is high, averaging around 94 percent, the proportion o pupils

that start grade 1 who reach the last grade, averaging around 79 percent

(Table 7), is still low to ensure that children will be able to complete a

ull course o primary school by 2015 . On a positive note, youth literacy

rates, except or PNG, are quite high at an average o 94 percent.

All Polynesian countries are on track to achieve MDG 2, recording rela-

tively high primary enrolment (97%) and retention rates (86%), as well as

high youth literacy levels (99%). Progress or the other two sub-regions

(excluding PNG) is mixed, with only Fiji and Palau on track to achieve uni-

versal primary education. O particular mention, in the post-crisis years,

the net enrolment rate in Solomon Islands increased signicantly to 97

percent in 2010 (see Box 5).

PNG is o track to achieve the global education target, as a result o slow

progress in its educational reorms. Progress is hampered by in-school

actors (lack o educational inrastructure, absenteeism, inability to meet

school ees), out-o-school actors (lack o parental and community

support, high unemployment, institutional constraints), as well as geo-

graphic issues and the adverse impact o the HIV/AIDS epidemic (PNG,

2010).

Even though the region is making good progress towards MDG 2, the

quality o education remains a concern. In March 2009, Pacic Forum Ed-ucation Ministers endorsed the Pacic Education Development Frame-

work (PEDF), which is expected to address the key challenges in the edu-

cation sector. The PEDF encompasses the education-related MDGs, as

well as the Education For All (EFA) targets and includes all sectors o edu-

cation with the exception o higher education. The Framework includes

technical and vocational education and training.

According to the PEDF, teacher quality is a critical concern or most coun-

tries, with high levels o teacher absenteeism in some countries. In addi-

tion, many students nish school with inadequate basic literacy, numer-

acy and lie skills based on tests administered in a number o countries

in primary schools. These tests also indicate the under-perormance oboys, which is another challenge in most countries.

In addition, most countries are nding it dicult to address the poor

state o the physical learning environment o schools including inade-

quate learning materials, libraries, ICT tools and the lack o maintenance

o school inrastructure. This challenge is linked to the issue o sustain-

able nancing o education systems and the structure o public expendi-

ture on education, given that in most countries, salaries represent over

90 percent o recurrent government budgets.

Although the region (excludingPNG) is on track to achieve

universal primary education, the

quality o education remains a

concern.

Table 6 Progress towards

MDG 2

TARGET 2.A.

Ensure that, by

2015, childreneverywhere, boys

and girls alike,

will be able to

complete a ull

course o primary

schooling

Melanesia O track

Melanesia (excl PNG) Mixed

Fiji On track

PNG O track

Solomon Is Mixed

Vanuatu Mixed

Micronesia Mixed

FSM Mixed

Kiribati Mixed

Marshall Is Mixed

Nauru O track

Palau On track

Polynesia On track

Cook Is On track

Niue On track

Samoa On track

Tonga On track

Tuvalu On track

FICs O track

FICs (excl PNG) Mixed


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TARGET 2.A. Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a ullcourse o primary schooling

Net enrolment ratio in primary

education (%)

Proportion o pupils starting grade

1 who reach last grade o primary (%)Literacy rate o 15-24 year-olds (%)


MELANESIA

Fiji 92 (1990) 96 (2008) 91 (1995) 97 (2008) 98 (1986) 100 (2008)

PNG 53 (2007) 62 (1990e) 59 (2009e) 61 (1990e) 63 (2009e)

Solomon Is 39 (1986) 97 (2010) 67 (2004) 62 (1991) 83 (2007)

Vanuatu 88 (1989) 86 (2008) 69 (1999) 72 (2008) 32 (1990) 92 (2009)

MICRONESIA

FSM 96 (2009) 96 (1994) 95 (2000)

Kiribati 99 (1999) 100 (2002) 98 (1990) 79 (2004) 92 (2000) 96 (2005)

Marshall Is 87 (1988) 83 (2007) 42 (2002) 84 (2008) 95 (2007)

Nauru 75 (1992) 88 (2007) 25 (2001) 99 (2002) 96 (2007)

Palau 82 (1990) 85 (2005) 93 (2005) 99 (2000) 100 (2005)

POLYNESIA

Cook Is 92 (2001) 99 (2009) 100 (1986) 83 (2009) 99 (2001) 99 (2009e)

Niue 100 (1991) 100 (2006) 100 (1991) 100 (2006) 95 (1992) 100 (2006)

Samoa 93 (1991) 96 (2009) 83 (2004) 83 (2010) 99 (1991) 100 (2009)

Tonga 92 (1990) 93 (2008) 84 (1996) 90 (2007) 99 (1990) 99 (2006)

Tuvalu 100 (1991) 98 (2007) 81 (1991) 91 (2007) 99 (1991) 99 (2007)

Note: See detailed country tables in Annex 1 or sources. Data not available.

Box 5. Solomon

Islands Post-

Crisis Progress in

Education

Solomon Islands

made remarkable

progress in recuper-

ating lost ground in

education ollow-

ing civil unrest that

spanned between

1998 and 2003. Thenet primary enrol-

ment rate rose rom

56 percent in 1999 to

97 percent in 2010.

During the crisis years, most schools on Guadalcanal were

seriously disrupted; some were burnt down or vandalised,

others closed as teachers and students ed violence and

those that remained open, struggled to accommodate the

large displaced student population.

The 2003 Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon

Islands (RAMSI), which restored law and order and stabi-

lised government nances to resume basic public service

delivery, was the catalyst in rebuilding the education sec-

Solomon Islands:

NER in Primary Education

110

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

%

1999

56

2010

97

tor. The RAMSI intervention had three important eects

on education: (i) Restoration o security allowed schools

to reopen; (ii) Injection o SI$118m in RAMSI budget

support stabilised government nances, providing vi-

tal unds or education, including payment o overdue

teacher salaries; (iii) Security and economic stabilisation

led to donor re-engagement, which saw the inux o

large aid inows, largely directed to health and educa-

tion. NZAID and the EU are key donors towards primary

and secondary education, respectively.

In addition, the Solomon Islands government has con-

sistently prioritised education during the post-conict

period. In 2009, the Solomon Islands government

ullled its promise to deliver eeree education up

to orm three. Under the program, over 600 primary

schools and 200 secondary schools receive grants in lieu

o ees. The scheme is unded primarily by NZAID, with

additional contributions rom Taiwan/Republic o China

and the Solomon Islands government.

The importance o peace and stability, strong govern-

ment commitment and coordinated donor support are

key components in advancing primary education in the

Solomon Islands.

Source: Whalan (2010)

Table 7


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GOAL 3 Promote Gender Equality

and Empower WomenExcluding PNG, FICs progress towards promoting gender equality and

empowering women is mixed (Table 8). All Melanesian countries, ex-

cept Fiji, are o track to achieve MDG 3, while mixed progress was noted

or the Micronesian and Polynesian countries. Gains are being made

on achieving gender parity in education while progress on empower-

ing women, as measured by the share o women in the non-agricultural

sector and seats held by women in national parliament, is much slower.

Progress in Melanesian countries is comparatively slower than that ob-

served in the Micronesian and Polynesian countries. A likely reason is

the strong patriarchal cultures inherent in Melanesian countries, which

discriminate against women, compared with the other sub-regions.

Collectively, with the exclusion o PNG, the region has achieved genderparity in education, with an average gender parity index o 98 or pri-

mary and tertiary education, and 101 or secondary education (Table 9).

PNG is unlikely to achieve gender parity in education. In addition, there

are a ew countries that are below the developing country average o 96

or gender parity in primary (Tonga, Nauru and Vanuatu) and secondary

(Niue, Solomon Islands) education. Solomon Islands and Vanuatu are

also below the developing country average o 97 or gender parity in

tertiary education.

Most education ministries have implemented gender equality measures,

with gender oces now included in the curriculum writing teams o

Solomon Islands and Samoa (SPC, 2010d). The PEDF, discussed earlier, isalso ocused on addressing gender disparities in primary and secondary

education, particularly or Melanesian countries.

On womens empowerment, generally, in FICs, men outnumber wom-

en in paid employment outside the agricultural sector, approximately

twice as more men than women. The public sector is usually the largest

employer, with most women occupying lower level positions although

there are a growing number o women in some countries holding mid-

to senior-level public service positions (SPC, 2010d). Cook Islands and

Niue are the only countries where women account or more than 50 per-

cent o employment in the non-agricultural sector.

With generally subdued economic growth perormances, overall lack o

job opportunities in most FICs hinder womens participation in paid em-

ployment. Although economies in the region are recovering rom the

global nancial crisis, a general shortage o jobs is expected to persist.

This situation is likely to continue to constrain womens share o employ-

ment in the non-agricultural sector.

Across majority o countries, governments have done little to raise the

economic participation o women, with CSOs and the private sector

leading most o the work (SPC, 2010d). At the regional level, there has

been little analysis on gender and the economy or support or womens

economic rights through the Forum Economic Ministers Meetings (SPC,

2010d).

FICs (excluding PNG) haveachieved gender parity in

education, while progress on

empowering women is much

slower.

Table 8 Progress towards MDG 3

MDG 3

PROMOTE GENDER

EQUALITY AND

EMPOWER WOMEN

TARGET 3.A.

Eliminate gender

disparity in primary and

secondary education,

preerably by 2005, and

in all levels o education

no later than 2015

Melanesia O track

Mel anesia (excl PNG) O track

Fiji Mixed

PNG O track

Solomon Is O track

Vanuatu O track

Micronesia Mixed

FSM Mixed

Kiribati Mixed

Marshall Is Mixed

Nauru Mixed

Palau On track

Polynesia Mixed

Cook Is On track

Niue On track

Samoa Mixed

Tonga O track

Tuvalu Mixed

FICs O track

FICs (excl PNG) Mixed


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Representation o women in parliament is well below the developing country

average o 18 percent. Collectively, women in FICs occupy only 7 o 141, or 5

percent, seats in parliament. Solomon Islands, FSM, Nauru and Tuvalu have no

women in parliament.

According to SPC (2010c), although there are no legal restrictions preventingwomen rom contesting elections, there are signicant customary barriers and

entrenched discrimination. The majority vote system common to the region

also has an adverse impact on womens success, with women aring better in

proportional representation systems. Lack o nancial support was also report-

ed as a major challenge.

Globally, quotas and political party measures are key interventions in raising

womens participation in parliament. For instance, the 2000 French Parity Law

was applied to the French territories, eectively raising the share o women

in parliament to 53 and 43 percent in French Polynesia and New Caledonia,

respectively (see Box 6). These outcomes are much higher than the 23 percent

average o developed regions .

At the regional level, to address low levels o women in decision making in

Smaller Island States (SIS), PIFS, with donor support, is convening mock parlia-

ments or women in Kiribati and RMI in 2011. These sessions provide a practical

orum to expose participants to the realities o policy-making and parliamen-

tary engagement. At the national level, governments are examining temporary

special measures to raise womens participation in parliament.

Only 5 percent o seats are held

by women in parliament in the

region.

TARGET 3.A. Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preerably by 2005, and in all levels o

education no later than 2015

Gender parity index in

primary education


secondary education


tertiary education

Women in the non-

agricultural sector (%)

Seats held by women in

parliament (%)

Earliest Latest Earliest Latest Earliest Latest Earliest Latest Earliest Latest

MELANESIA

Fiji 94 (1990) 99 (2008) 105 (1990) 107 (2008) 72 (1990) 120 (2005) 30 (1990) 30 (2005) 0 (1990) n/a

PNG 85 (1991) 84 (2006) 62 (1991) 55 (1999) 20 (1990) 32 (2000) 0 (1990) 1 (2011)

Solomon Is 80 (1986) 100 (2010) 57 (1986) 84 (2010) 30 (1995) 30 (2000) 31 (1999) 0 (1990) 0 (2011)

Vanuatu 93 (2000) 91 (2009) 95 (2000) 102 (2009) 40 (1995) 85 (2008) 38 (2004) 39 (2008) 4 (1990) 4 (2011)

MICRONESIA

FSM 92 (1994) 96 (2009) 98 (1994) 102 (2009) 70 (1994) 107 (2000) 15 (1994) 14 (2000) 0 (1997) 0 (2010)

Kiribati 101 (1999) 104 (2008) 119 (1999) 111 (2008) 120 (1995) 100 (2000) 37 (2000) 39 (2005) 0 (1990) 7 (2010)

Marshall Is 98 (1999) 99 (2009) 107 (1999) 105 (2009) 90 (1996) 103 (2008) 33 (1988) 36 (1999) 3 (1990) 3 (2011)

Nauru 103 (1992) 90 (2008) 75 (1992) 110 (2008) 60 (1995) 250 (2000) 42 (2002) 6 (1990) 0 (2011)

Palau 93 (1999) 103 (2007) 107 (1999) 98 (2007) 235 (2000) 204 (2002) 40 (1990) 40 (2000) 0 (1990) 7 (2011)

POLYNESIA

Cook Is 98 (1991) 96 (2009) 112 (1990) 102 (2009) 86 (1990) 100 (2001) 46 (2001) 55 (2006) 6 (1991) 4 (2011)

Niue 270 (1991) 110 (2006) 90 (1991) 80 (2006) 190 (1995) 200 (2002) 43 (1991) 76 (2006) 10 (1990) 15 (2011)Samoa 98 (1990) 97 (2009) 106 (1990) 113 (2009) 166 (1990) 156 (2009) 31 (1990) 40 (2009) 4 (1990) 4 (2011)

Tonga 87 (1997) 88 (2008) 97 (1995) 97 (2009) 67 (1995) 99 (2005) 34 (1986) 39 (2006) 3 (2005) 3 (2009)

Tuvalu 105 (1991) 96 (2009) 105 (1991) 112 (2009) 42 (1991) 172 (2009) 36 (1991) 36 (2007) 6 (1990) 0 (2011)

MDG 3

PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY AND EMPOWER WOMENTable 9


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Box 6. Application o the French Parity Law in French Polynesia, New Caledonia and Wallis & Futuna

The Parity Law was passed in France in 2000 and extended to all French overseas departments, territories and coun-

tries. This law required all political parties to maintain gender equality on their lists o electoral candidates. In other

words, all parties had to have 50 percent o each sex on their lists, alternating the names o male and emale can-didates. The Parity Law was applied to French Polynesia in 2001, Wallis and Futuna in 2002, and New Caledonia in

2004.

In French Polynesia, although the adoption o the parity law was not supported by political groups, it was immedi-

ately promulgated and applied rom 2001. As a result, womens representation in the Assembly rose rom 12 in the

2001 elections, to 48 percent in the 2004 elections. Currently, womens share in the French Polynesian parliament is

53 percent.

In New Caledonia, some indigenous Kanak men opposed the application o parity, insisting that there were only a

ew qualied women candidates, and that the law undermined Kanak custom. The opposition to the application o

the Parity Law mobilised women rom various backgrounds in support o the law, resulting in the rejection o an

amendment to postpone the application o parity. Consequently, womens representation in Congress rose rom 17

to 46 percent in the 2004 elections. Currently, womens share in the New Caledonian parliament is 43 percent.

In Wallis and Futuna, twenty representatives are elected by universal surage using a list-based system o propor-

tional representation. In 2002, although parity was observed in drawing up the lists, none o the women were

elected. The high number o lists, the low number o lists led by women, as well as the cost and travel inherent in an

election campaign hindered the eective application o the law. Currently, womens share in the Wallis and Futuna

parliament is 20 percent.

The application o the Parity Law to the Pacic French territories is a good example o legislated measures to raise

the participation o women in parliament. However, as the experience o Wallis and Futuna demonstrates, it does

not guarantee the election o women into parliament.

Sources: Bargel et al (2010), SPC (2010c)


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GOAL 4 Reduce Child Mortality

FICs (excluding PNG) are on track to reduce child mortality (Table 10),with the average under-ve mortality (U5M) rate at 28 (Table 11), which

is below the global developing region target o 33 . The average inant

mortality (IM) rate is also low at 20. However, the average measles im-

munisation coverage is only 71 percent, which is an area o concern.

Melanesia (excluding PNG) and Polynesia are on track to reduce child

mortality, reporting average U5M rates o 26 and 19, respectively, with

average IM rates o 20 and 11, respectively. Mixed progress is noted or

the countries o Micronesia, with a comparatively higher average U5M

and IM rates o 51 and 30, respectively.

According to the UN (2011b), countries with high U5M are those with 40

or more deaths per 1,000 live births. In the region, Kiribati (72), PNG (70),

RMI (46) and Nauru (44) have high U5M. Even so, only PNG and Nauru

are o track to achieve MDG 4. PNG has a relatively high rate o U5M and

IM (53) and low measles immunisation coverage (62) in the region. Al-

though Naurus measles immunisation coverage is quite high at 99 per-

cent, the U5M and IM rates have increased rom the early 1990s to 2009.

RMI is on track to achieve MDG 4 as the U5M rate ell by 51 percent rom

1988 to 46 in 2009. For Kiribati, although the U5M rate rose slightly rom

69 to 72, the IM rate ell to 46, while the measles immunisation rate in-

creased to 82. In addition, Kiribati is undertaking several child survival

strategies, such as the Integrated Management o Childhood Illness (see

Box 7), and coupled with improved sta capacity, as well as the roll-out

o water and sanitation projects, there is cautious optimism that Kiribati

will achieve MDG 4 with continued donor support (WHO, 2010b). Con-

sequently, overall, Kiribatis progress is mixed.

Compared to the 80 percent developing region average or measles im-

munisation coverage, collectively, only Micronesia is above with 85 per-

cent. Both Melanesia (excluding PNG) and Polynesia have comparatively

lower average measles immunisation coverage o 69. Samoa, Palau, Fiji,

Solomon Islands and Tuvalu recorded a decline in coverage.

Samoas measles immunisation coverage plummeted to 52 percent in

2009, with coverage in urban areas much lower than that in rural areas.According to Samoa (2010), public delivery o immunisation services are

concentrated in the rural areas, and while the same services are avail-

able through the private sector, uptake in urban areas is low. Samoa has

introduced incentivised perormance, oering incentives to community

health workers and advocates to encourage and support amilies to have

their children ully immunised (WHO & SPC, 2011).

The ailure to achieve and/or sustain high measles immunisation cover-

age may lead to measles outbreaks and increased susceptibility to pneu-

monia and diarrhoea, all o which are leading causes o child morbid-

ity and mortality (WHO, 2010a). Thereore, to sustain the gains made

in reducing child mortality across the region, it is important to raise theimmunisation coverage to at least 90 percent. WHOs Expanded Pro-

gramme on Immunisation (EPI) is targeting district-specic planning

in Pacic island countries, using the Reaching Every District strategy

aimed at improving routine immunisation.

The region (excluding PNG) is ontrack to reduce child mortality,

with average U5M rates below the

developing region target.

Comparatively lower measles

immunisation coverage ormost FICs is an area o concern,

particularly in Melanesia and

Polynesia.

Table 10 Progress towards

MDG 4

MDG 4REDUCE CHILD

MORTALITY

TARGET 4.A.

Reduce by two-thirds,

between 1990 and

2015, the under-ve

mortality rate

Melanesia O track

Melanesia (excl PNG) On track

Fiji On track

PNG O track

Solomon Is O track

Vanuatu On track

Micronesia Mixed

FSM Mixed

Kiribati Mixed

Marshall Is On track

Nauru O track

Palau On track

Polynesia On track

Cook Is On track

Niue On track

Samoa On track

Tonga On track

Tuvalu On track

FICs O track

FICs (excl PNG) On track


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Box 7. Integrated Management o Childhood Illness (IMCI) in the Pacic

WHO and UNICEF jointly ormulated the IMCI strategy in the mid-1990s to provide a more integrated approach or

addressing the main causes o childhood morbidity and mortality, and or improving child welare. It includes ele-

ments o prevention, as well as curative care, combining the management o childhood illness with aspects o nutri-

tion, immunisation, disease prevention and health promotion.

The IMCI strategy consists o three components:

1. Upgrading the case management and counseling skills o health care providers.

2. Strengthening the health system or eective management o childhood illness; and

3. Improving amily and community practices related to child health and nutrition.

With the support o WHO/UNICEF, Fiji, FSM, PNG, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu have adopted the IMCI strategy.

Amongst other actors, the IMCI has proven to be an important strategy in reducing child mortality. In the Solo-

mon islands, a reduction in child mortality due to neonatal causes is attributed to the improved status o maternal/

sae motherhood programs and services, supported by much improved paediatric care and the ocus on the IMCI

approach. In Vanuatu, where acute respiratory inections (ARI) and diarrhoeal diseases contribute signicantly to

the child morbidity burden, the introduction o the IMCI strategy and the support or integrated health services is

expected to reduce the burden on the health system caused by advanced cases o ARI and diarrhoeal disease.

Sources: WHO (2003, 2010a)

MDG 4

REDUCE CHILD MORTALITY

TARGET 4.A.

Reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-ve mortality rate

Under 5 mortality (per 1,000 live

births)Inant mortality (per 1,000 live births)

Measles immunisation o 1 year

old (%)


MELANESIA

Fiji 28 (1990) 23 (2009) 17 (1990) 15 (2009) 86 (1991) 72 (2009)

PNG 100 ( 1986-1996) 70 (2009e) 77 (1986-1996) 53 (2009e) 45 (1990e) 62 (2009e)

Solomon Is 38 (1990) 36 (2009) 31 (1990) 30 (2009) 70 (1990) 60 (2009)

Vanuatu 40 (1990) 16 (2009) 33 (1990) 14 (2009) 66 (1990) 80 (2009)

MICRONESIA

FSM 58 (1990) 39 (2009) 20 (1999) 13 (2009) 79 (1999) 91 (2009)

Kiribati 69 (2005) 72 (2009) 65 (1990) 46 (2009) 75 (1990) 82 (2009)

Marshall Is 93 (1988) 46 (2009) 63 (1988) 34 (2009) 70 (1998) 78 (2009)

Nauru 10 (1991) 44 (2009) 19 (1995) 36 (2009) 99 (1997) 99 (2009)

Palau 37 (1990) 26 (2009) 25 (1990) 22 (2009) 98 (1990) 75 (2009)

POLYNESIA

Cook Is 26 (1996-2002) 18 (2006) 16 (1991-97) 14 (2006) 83 (2001) 97 (2008)

Niue 0 (1991) 0 (2006) 29 (1997-2001) 8 (2001-06) 99 (1990) 99 (2009)

Samoa 42 (1991) 15 (2009) 33 (1991) 9 (2009) 89 (1991) 52 (2009)

Tonga 27 (1990) 26 (2008) 12 (1991) 16 (2008) 94 (1994) 100 (2007)

Tuvalu 69 (1991) 25 (2009) 57 (1992) 15 (2009) 94 (1995) 90 (2008)

Note: See detailed country tables in Annex 1 or sources.

Table 11


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GOAL 5 Improve Maternal Health

The region (excluding PNG) recorded mixed progress towards reducingthe maternal mortality ratio (MMR) and achieving universal access to re-

productive health (Table 12). Overall, Polynesian countries are on track

to achieve MDG 5, with mixed progress recorded or Melanesia (exclud-

ing PNG) and Micronesia.

The assessment on Target 5.A. is complicated by the measurement o

maternal mortality due to the lack o a standardised denition or ma-

ternal death

2011 pacific regional mdgs tracking report

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