Millennium Development Goals & The Federated States of Micronesia Status Report 2010 Prepared by the FSM Office of Statistics, Budget and Economic Management, Overseas Development Assistance, and Compact Management in cooperation with the FSM Millennium Development Goals Task Force with Financial and Technical Support from the United Nations Development Program Palikir, Pohnpei, December 15, 2010 i FSM Millennium Development Goals Task Force 1. Dr. Rufino Mauricio – Office of National Archive, Historic and Cultural Preservation 2. Ben Jesse – Department of Health and Social Affairs 3. Jane Elymore – Department of Health and Social Affairs 4. Dionis Saimon – Department of Health and Social Affairs 5. Kipier Lippwe – Department of Health and Social Affairs 6. Wayne Mendiola – Department of Education 7. Burnis Danis – Department of Education 8. Jackson Soram – Department of Foreign Affairs 9. Kandhi Elieisar – Department of Foreign Affairs 10. Daniel Rescue, Jr. – Department of Justice 11. Ernest Weirlangt - Department of Resources and Development 12. Gibson Susumu – Department of Resources and Development 13. Cindy Ehmes – Office of Environment & Emergency Management 14. Simpson Abraham – Office of Environment & Emergency Management 15. Phillip Joseph – Department of Transportation, Communication and Infrastructure 16. Leo Lokopwe – Department of Transportation, Communication and Infrastructure 17. Jolden Johnnyboy – Department of Transportation, Communication and Infrastructure 18. Fabian S. Nimea – Office of Statistics, Budget and Economic Management, Overseas Development Assistance, and Compact Management 19. Suzanne Lowe - Office of Statistics, Budget and Economic Management, Overseas Development Assistance, and Compact Management 20. Gillian Doone - Office of Statistics, Budget and Economic Management, Overseas Development Assistance, and Compact Management 21. Mathew Chigiyal - Office of Statistics, Budget and Economic Management, Overseas Development Assistance, and Compact Management 22. Brihmer Johnson - Office of Statistics, Budget and Economic Management, Overseas Development Assistance, and Compact Management 23. Cecilia Azevedo Sodre – Ex officio member and UN Technical Advisor Photo courtesy of : Pohnpei: Dan Norton Chuuk: FSM Information Services Kosrae: Betty Sigrah Yap: FSM Information Services Preface It has been ten years since the Federated States of Micronesia signed the Millennium Declaration and committed the nation to the principles of human dignity joining other countries’ leaders to work for a world free from poverty and hunger and to promote better education, health and environmental sustainability. As 2015 approaches, it is timely to disseminate our progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). I am honored to present the first MDG report of the Federated States of Micronesia. It is a result of the acknowledged efforts taken by representatives of national and state governments to explain to the people of the FSM where we, as a nation, stand in terms of poverty, education, gender, health, environment and global partnership – all eight MDGs. The Office of SBOC, as the project manager of the “Millennium Development Goals Capacity Building in Federated States of Micronesia,” coordinated the preparation of this report in cooperation with the MDG Task Force. The MDG Task Force which was created in 2004 had the responsibility for compiling data and qualitative information for the initial status report and provided the appropriate connection with the Strategic Development Plan (SDP) goals and priorities. Linking the MDGs with the SDP will be feasible through a coordinated approach between the national and state departments, offices and agencies, private sector, NGOs and civil society organizations that ultimately aim to promote economic growth with equitable distribution of income. Economic growth and equality of income distribution are at the very heart of poverty reduction and therefore are directly relevant to the MDGs. Where growth rates are positive and sustainable, reductions in the number of households and individuals facing hardship are likely to be seen. A negative growth rate may adversely affect people’s lives, pushing them into socioeconomic exclusion. As we may know, growth is being acknowledged as a necessary, but not sufficient condition for reducing poverty, hardship, and hunger. This report addresses the above issues and was written in accordance with the findings resulting from extensive data collection at both national and state level, and a comprehensive analysis process that ultimately identified challenges and priorities for achieving the MDGs. It will allow national and state government representatives and key stakeholders to make better use of available data and qualitative information as a basis for evidence-based policy making. I am pleased to confirm that the Federated States of Micronesia is generally on-track regarding MDG Goals 2, 7 and 8. MDG Goals 3, 4 and 6 are partially on track and progress is expected in the areas of gender and children’s health and non-communicable diseases, for example, in the forthcoming years. However the report does indicate that FSM will not be able to achieve MDG Goal 1, the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, and MDG Goal 5, improve maternal health, by the given deadline. The main challenge is to develop a formal poverty alleviation strategy in accordance with our expected macroeconomic conditions in the medium and long term. We hope our efforts will contribute in ensuring a better livelihood for our people. Lastly, I wish to express that we will continue to pursue these goals and will work closely with state governments and key stakeholders to build more awareness about them in the FSM. Moreover, we will facilitate the implementation of the MDGs by integrating their targets and indicators within our planning and budgeting processes for continued monitoring and evaluation of our progress in achieving the goals by 2015 and beyond. Emanuel “Manny” Mori President of the Federated States of Micronesia FSM Millennium Development Goals Report i Foreword Since the signing of the Millennium Declaration in 2000, the Federated States of Micronesia (hereinafter, FSM) has made progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Most of the MDGs’ targets were not new but represented goals that leaders and decision makers were already collectively committed to achieve and sustain in the long term. This is because the MDG’s represent basic social and economic development benchmarks and a better standard of living for the people of the FSM. This report represents the first FSM’s comprehensive report on the MDGs. It is designed to raise awareness about the MDGs at home while informing the global community about progress since 1990s. The report provides important baseline data from where future progress in human resource development and economic development may be measured and further gave us a glimpse of what has been accomplished since 2000. It indicates that significant progress has been made toward the goals and their 21 supporting targets and 60 indicators. Some goals and targets have already been achieved, while others are “on track” to be achieved by 2015. While much progress has already been made, some challenges still remain. At least one goal (poverty reduction) poses great challenges within the context of the poverty definition applicable to the Pacific Islanders. There is indication in the report that the FSM is “off track” with respect to achieving the needed targets for this goal by 2015. Progress, however, can be made by identifying a less challenging localized target that is achievable over a five year timeframe. While MDG 2 has been virtually achieved, care is, however, needed to prevent regression. MDG 4 is slightly off-track and 5 is “off track” but with carefully targeted interventions are achievable. MDG 3 has been partially achieved (participation of girls in school). While further progress is expected by 2015 with respect to economic and political targets, FSM may not achieve full gender equality by 2015. To combat these challenges would require strong political will, further localization of the MDGs, and further expansion of the “ownership” of the MDGs beyond the national arena to include state governments and civil society. The global challenges we face today transcend boundaries and affect us all. Through the interconnectedness of the financial system, through the environmental cycle, and through a number of other linkages, we have all become global stakeholders joining other nations of the world in attempting to deal with the MDGs. The achievements of the MDGs are very possible. With political will, adequate resources and concerted efforts of the national and state stakeholders the Millennium Development Goals will be met by 2015. The completion of this report is a milestone. Now the real work begins of aggressively accelerating efforts to move the FSM as far as possible toward achieving the MDGs in the five years remaining before 2015. This work will require simultaneous action on the following fronts: 1) The expansion of the “ownership” of the MDGs must go beyond the national government to the state and municipal governments. The national government has set the stage for implementation but most of the implementation work required to achieve the MDGs will take place at the state level or in some cases at the community or municipal level. 2) Further localization of the MDGs is needed. The process