Commonwealth parliaments discuss their role in achieving the Millennium Development Goals
International Parliamentary Conference on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
Over 60 parliamentarians from 40 countries gathered in London from 28 November to 2 December 2011 to discuss their roles in reaching the MDGs. The International Parliamentary Conference, which was organized by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, touched on issues linked to:
- creating enabling legislative environments for the achievement of the MDGs;
- the role of Parliamentarians in financial accountability and oversight;
- ensuring the representation of their constituents’ priorities in policies; and
- holding the Government to account in the effective implementation of policies.
Parliaments also discussed the importance of framing their engagement with the MDGs around the principles outlined in human rights declarations, notably that progress should include the most vulnerable.
A special session on women’s and children’s health, chaired by Lord Speaker of the House of Lords, Rt Hon. Baroness D’Souza, demonstrated the role that parliaments have played to date in ensuring adequate budget allocation for health. For example, Hon. Sylvia Ssinabulya, MP, from Uganda described an instance in the Ugandan parliament, when parliamentarians refused to approve any budget until funds allocated to reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health were increased.
The session also emphasized the importance of investing in the social determinants of health and creating enabling legislation around these. For example, Hon. Kadidiatou Keita Korsaga, from Burkina Faso, noted that an improvement in girls’ education in Burkina is crucial to promoting knowledge about sexual and reproductive rights and best practices; encouraging pregnant women to participate in antenatal care and to deliver in health facilities; and to reduce the frequency of harmful practices on women such as female genital cutting.
Parliamentarians including the Rt. Hon. Alan Duncan, Minister of State for International Development, also noted that health was an issue of importance within their constituencies and acknowledged the need to increase both national and international advocacy to ensure its prioritization. They were also encouraged by Professor Paul Hunt to use the very specific and measurable commitments made by states during the 2010 and 2011 September pledging meetings of the United Nations Secretary General’s Global Strategy on Women’s and Children’s Health to hold their governments to account. Professor Hunt also recommended the development of national mechanisms such as commissions to hold the governments to account, greater collaboration with civil society to track progress and promoted the use of the media to promote accountability.
Dr. Flavia Bustreo, ADG, WHO, outlined the maternal and child health trends – pointing to the annual 7.6 million child deaths and 358 000 maternal deaths. She pointed to the fact that 3 of the 6 countries that contribute the most to maternal and child deaths – India, Nigeria and Pakistan are part of the Commonwealth. She highlighted the main causes of death for women and children – haemorrhaging, pneumonia and diarrhoea respectively, pointed to the low coverage of certain key interventions along the continuum of care and pointed to the inequities in the provision of services.
She then highlighted recent global initiatives including the Global Strategy, Commission on Information and Accountability and the Independent Experts Review Group. She noted that although great strides have been made with Global Strategy commitments, inequity remains a problem with resources disproportionately assigned to a small number of countries (15 countries – more than 10 commitments). She encouraged parliaments to play their part in the development of national plans, monitoring progress, tracking resources and in legislating and advocating for better health.
A communiqué which will guide parliamentary engagement in the promotion of the MDGs based on the conference discussions was produced.