Kuwait has pledged its commitment to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to the world community. Kuwait ranks 33rd in the Human Development Index. Despite its affluence, Kuwait is classified as a developing country and as such is expected to report on progress realized in achieving the MDGs. The first national MDG Report, prepared jointly by the Ministry of Planning and UNDP in 2003, and the follow-up report of 2005 show that Kuwait achieved most of the MDGs targets ahead of time. The country is expected to reach its remaining targets by 2015.
The challenges that Kuwait faces in achieving the MDGs are chiefly in the areas of gender equality and the empowerment of women (Goal 3) and environmental sustainability (Goal 7). While Kuwait is performing very well in the indicators pertaining to women’s education, literacy, and wage employment, the main difficulty lies in the political empowerment of women. In May 2005 there was a breakthrough in this area when the National Assembly (the Kuwaiti parliament) approved an amendment to the elections law, allowing women for the first time in Kuwait’s history to vote and run for office. Current democratic practices in the country should enable Kuwait to achieve this target by 2015. UNDP is hoping to work even more closely with both government and civil society counterparts to achieve this Goal.
On the environmental sustainability front, there are two indicators that present a problem: those on energy use and carbon dioxide emissions. Given the structure of Kuwait’s economy and its reliance on the oil production industry, improving these indicators is a real challenge. UNDP is working towards closer cooperation with all stakeholders to respond to these challenges to increase the institutional capacity of related government and civil bodies and also to promote environmental awareness among all sectors of the society.
UNDP Kuwait Progress by Goal
Current status in accordance with national Government reporting:The 8 MDGs break down into 18 quantifiable targets that are measured by 48 indicators. Click here for a full list of Goals, Targets and Indicators.
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Achieved |
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Very likely to be achieved,
on track |
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Possible to achieve if some changes are made |
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Off track |
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Insufficient information |
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Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
- Goal is achieved.
- Absolute poverty does not exist in Kuwait.
- The consumption expenditure of the Kuwaiti poor is 8 times the international poverty line (US $ 1.25). |
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Achieve universal primary education
- Goal is achievable.
- The indicator on literacy rate of 15-24 years of age is 99.9%, according to the MDG Progress Report (2005). The rate of progress in the enrolment ratio of primary education t was 87% in 1994, but it increased to 88.5% in 2008 (0.6% increase per year).
- UNDP has expanded interventions under this goal by providing support to bridge the knowledge gap in early learning challenges to enable individuals with disability in the State of Kuwait. For more information read
"A success story - by Dr. Gad Elbeheri". |
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Promote gender equality and empower women
- Goal is achievable;
- Kuwait was able to achieve the MDG on gender equality in education before the target year of 2015.
- On 16th of May 2005, the Kuwaiti Parliament extended political rights to Kuwaiti women by amending the election laws.
- In the May 2009 general elections, four women won seats in the Kuwaiti parliament marking a historic landmark in the political empowerment of women.
- UNDP could provide technical expertise to civil societies and organizations working on this Goal.
"Promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women".
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Reduce child mortality
- Goal is achieved
- under-five mortality rate was 12.9 per thousand live birth in 1993 and declined to 10 per thousand in 2008 recording an annual rate of decline of 1.7 per cent
- It needs to be noted that the already high level of achievement recorded suggests that the desired value of the indicator can be fully achieved.
- The target of complete immunization coverage has already been achieved ahead of the time horizon of 2015
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Improve maternal health
- Goal is achievable
- The actual rate of decline for reducing maternal mortality indicator is calculated as about 26 percent implying that the country has already achieved this goal
- According to the MDG Progress Report (2010), skilled health personnel attend to ALL births in the State of Kuwait since 1993.
- As for the reproductive health target, there is no information on any of the indicators for Kuwait. Lack of information on these indicators has to do with their irrelevance to a highly conservative culture in which practices to be measured by the indicators are not observed in a routine fashion.
- However, given the standard of the living of the country, as well as the highly advanced stage of its health care system, it can easily be inferred that the country can achieve this target.
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Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
- Goal is achievable
- The almost zero prevalence of HIV/AIDS for the whole population and submission of the first UNGASS report in 2010 for Kuwait is an indicator of the country's commitment towards combating HIV/AIDS.
- And as Kuwait is a malaria free country, The State of Kuwait should be able to combat, control and reverse HIV/AIDS and TB by 2015.
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Ensure environmental sustainability
- Goal is achievable
- No reliable information is readily available for the new indicators on consumption of ozone-depleting substances; proportion of fish stocks within safe biological limits; proportion of total water resources used; and, the proportion of terrestrial and marine areas protected.
- As judged by the three sub-indicators of the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, this goal represents a challenge to the State of Kuwait.
- Finally, Kuwait has reached 100% coverage to provide safe drinking water and basic Sanitation to the population.
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Develop a global partnership for development
- Goal is achieved
- Kuwait is the committed to help developing countries in their attempts to achieve the MDGs by providing them with official development assistance (ODA)
- Kuwait has been an active and rather generous donor.
- It established a specialized development finance agency in 1961, the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) benefitting 101 countries.
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Kuwait National MDG News
(news for goals 2 and 3 are posted under Gender and Social Development and news for goal 7 are under Environment and Energy)
2011
Improve Maternal Health
The Kuwait Medical Genetic Centre, Ministry of health in Kuwait requested the professional services of a UNDP Consultant in Genetic Screening for newly born babies in order to perform early screening and detection of genetic diseases that leads to physical and mental handicap, identify them, and compile information for the early identification and prevention of such diseases which can be done by medical and nutritional type of treatment.
Objectives:
- Provide necessary consultancies and provide a general framework for genetic screening for newly born babies for disorders that causes physical and mental handicap.
- Provide consultation and interpretation of the screening results in order to plan an early detection and treatment strategy.
- Train and build local capacity on how to execute such early screening of genetic diseases in order to decrease the percentage of new handicap population in the State of Kuwait.
- Propose a Protocol on how to provide treatment and intervention for genetic diseases identified by the early screening. This treatment whether with drug or with food will lead to prevention of the complication of these disease which include physical and mental handicap. For example; phenylketonuria which can be treated by avoiding any animal protein form the baby diet or the congenital hypothyroidism complications that can be prevented by supplying the missed hormone.
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May 2010
The First Kuwait UNGASS Report
A National Committee for HIV/AIDS was established in Kuwait in February 2010 and UNDP is an official member in it. The committee is composed from representatives of various sectors like the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Blood Bank and others. We participated in the preparation of the first UNGASS report for Kuwait for the year 2010.
The UNGASS report identified the gaps in HIV/AIDS work in Kuwait, like the lack of a HIV/AIDS Strategy for Kuwait, no VCT centers, lack of involvement of the NGOs, , and lack of awareness and advocacy efforts.
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23 September 2008
The UN's Millennium Development Goals.
In an article by H.E the British Ambassador, Mr. Stuart Laing highlights the important juncture the international community faces in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). He emphasized that with poverty presenting the greatest challenge the world faces today, the international community needs to strive towards halving extreme poverty by 2015. This month's High-level Event on the MDGs at UN Headquarters in New York will bring together world leaders to step up the pace to meet the MDGs. As we reach the mid-point for the MDGs, the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights should remind each and every one that every person has the right to health, education, shelter and security.
Read the media coverage below....
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Kuwait Official National MDG Reports
Kuwait’s Report on the Millennium Development Goals
The Millennium Development Goals Reports
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The Millennium Development Goals Report (2010)
In 2000, Kuwait has enthusiastically adopted the joint declaration of World
Leaders of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). While Kuwait has already
met many aspects of the MDGs, the government initiated a multitude of economic, social policies, and reforms to accelerate progress in this regard. It is believed that monitoring the achievement of MDGs provides an excellent opportunity to engage all formal and social stakeholders, including government agencies, private sector, and NGOs to make a concerted effort in attaining all aspects of these goals. Click here to download full report. |
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The Millennium Development Goals Report (2009)
This report presents an annual assessment of progress towards the
MDGs. Although data are not yet available to reveal the full
impact of the recent economic downturn, they point to areas
where progress towards the eight goals has slowed or reversed. The Report may be accessed in the other UN official languages, as they become available. Click here to download full report. |
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The Millennium Development Goals Report (2008)
In adopting the Millennium Declaration in the
year 2000, the international community pledged
to "spare no effort to free our fellow men, women
and children from the abject and dehumanizing
conditions of extreme poverty." We are now more
than halfway towards the target date – 2015 – by
which the Millennium Development Goals are to
be achieved. Click here to download full report. |
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The Millennium Development Goals Report (2007)
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched report at the opening of the Economic and Social Council's 2007 substantive session in Geneva on Monday 2 July. The Report may be accessed in the other UN official languages, as they become available. Click here to download full report. |
WHAT IS THE MDG MONITOR?
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The MDG Monitor shows how countries are progressing in their efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). With the 2015 target date fast approaching, it is more important than ever to understand where the goals are on track, and where additional efforts and support are needed, both globally and at the country level.
The MDG Monitor is designed as a tool for policymakers, development practitioners, journalists, students and others to:
TRACK progress through interactive maps and country-specific profiles
LEARN about countries' challenges and achievements and get the latest news
SUPPORT organizations working on the MDGs around the world |
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Kuwait
