Cambodia on track for two MDGs

via CAAI

Tuesday, 14 December 2010 15:01 Mom Kunthear

CAMBODIA is on track to meet two of its nine nationally set Millennium Development Goals by 2015, according to a presentation made by the Ministry of Planning during a regional conference in Phnom Penh yesterday.

Officials speaking at the opening of the three-day conference – held to discuss the implementation of MDG strategies in Asia-Pacific countries – the Kingdom is on track to meet targets to reduce child mortality rates and to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.

However, the country is unlikely to meet targets to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, improve maternal health and ensure environmental sustainability. It is also making slow progress toward targets to achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality and de-mining goals.

During his opening remarks, Minister of Planning Chhay Than said Cambodia had made some “substantial” achievements, but faced some particular challenges.

“The challenges in our case are much more severe compared to other countries at our level of socio-economic development because of events in our recent history,” he said, adding that the country’s civil war only ended in 1999.

“Our main development challenge is the availability of development resources to carry out the massive task of rebuilding our physical infrastructure and institutions,” he said.

According to a presentation from the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, countries across the region are struggling to meet targets related to hunger, health, primary education, child mortality, maternal health and sanitation.

Representatives from 12 Asia-Pacific countries are attending the meeting.