PNG commended for localising goals

PAPUA New Guinea was commended for its initiative to localise the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) at the provincial and local level government at last month’s United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
Minister for National Planning and Rural Development Paul Tiensten said UNGA took note of the process of localising the MDGs which was underway in four provinces including the forged partnerships with the churches and civil society organisations to meet these targets.
Tiensten said he and other government officials including civil society partners from PNG were with the prime minister when he (PM) re-committed the fast progress on the achievement of the MDGs and higher level of human development.
A special MDG summit was held on Sept 22-20 to review the progress on MDGs in the current 192 member states of the UN during period 1990-2010.
“In efforts to achieve the MDGs by 2015 the PNG government felt it was essential to integrate the MDGs into its national strategies for development.”
He said: “The reviewed localised 15 targets and 67 indicators of the medium term development strategy (MTDS) now fully integrated into the PNG Development Strategic Plan (PNG DSP) 2010-2030 and the medium term development plan (MTDP) 2011-2015.
“MTDP is thus a MDG integrated development plan and there I am positive that much progress will be achieved towards MDGs in the next five years than in the last 10 years.”