Question put to UN Librarians, 20 September 2015:


In which resolution did UN member states first endorse the specific target of

reducing child mortality by 2015 to a third of its rate in 1990?

Later note:

I am not a Christian and I do not know much about Dag Hammarskjöld. 

But I am wondering now, thinking of the two people commemorated by the Millennium and the library, not just "what would Jesus say?" but also "what would Dag say?".



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Replies from United Nations Dag Hammarskjöld Library
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Subject: Ask DAG: A reply to your query

Original Question


Sep 20, 2015

In which resolution did UN member states first endorse the specific target of reducing child mortality by 2015 to a third of its rate in 1990?

Thank you.

 

 



Susan Kurtas

Sep 21 2015, 10:49am

In September 2000, the United Nations Millennium Declaration was adopted (A/RES/55/2) committing nations to reduce extreme poverty and setting time-bound targets - with a deadline of 2015 - that became known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

[!]

The actual goals and indicators were elaborated after the declaration and research on these is a little more tricky.  

I am waiting for our Library's catalogue to be re-started so I can search there to see if I can find when the child mortality goal was set.

Peace,

Susan




Susan Kurtas

Sep 21 2015, 10:55am

The MDG indicators website has background information with links to the key documents and resolutions: 
http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/Host.aspx?Content=/Products/GAResolutions.htm

This publication may give more details: 

Indicators for Monitoring the Millennium Development Goals: Definitions, Rationale, Concepts and Sources
[ http/mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/Resources/Attach/Indicators/HandbookEnglish.pdf ]

I am still waiting on our catalogue... Sorry for the delay.

Peace,

Susan  K.

 

 


Matt Berkley

Sep 21 2015, 11:21am

Dear Ms Kurtas,

Thank you. But I cannot understand what you write ...


The time-bound targets in the Declaration have 2000 baselines, as was reported at the time. Those did not become known as MDGs.

 

 




Susan Kurtas

Sep 21 2015, 12:21pm

The Secretary-General report in

A/56/326, [http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/56/326]
Road map towards the implementation of the United Nations Millennium Declaration :  report of the Secretary-General, Annex, p. 55, states,

"For the purpose of monitoring progress, the normal baseline year for the targets will be 1990, which is the baseline that has been used by the global conferences of the 1990s."

This report was taken note of in A/RES/56/95. 
[http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/56/95]

Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.

Peace,

Susan K.

 



Matt Berkley
Sep 21 2015, 12:31pm

…Thank you. Resolution 56/95 states that the Assembly takes note of the Report, but not the 1990 baseline. The Report is 58 pages long. In the same resolution, the Assembly urged more publicity for the Declaration, which seems to amount to endorsing the 2000 baseline.

On 21 December 2001 the Assembly reaffirmed the Declaration, which has 2000 baselines.

The 2005 World Summit resolution did mention the MDGs, but also reaffirmed the Declaration.

So I cannot see where the Assembly decided to change its commitment to reduce child mortality by two-thirds from the 2000 rate.

 

 

 

Susan Kurtas

Sep 21 2015, 12:37pm

In this case, I will try to find someone who has more knowledge of this topic who may be able to respond to your concerns.

 

Susan Kurtas

Oct 01 2015

I have not been able to contact anyone who has more information about this. To pursue this research, I suggest review of the resolutions on the follow-up to the Millennium Summit.

For More Info / Source(s)

 

 

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…from the Client Services team of the United Nations Dag Hammarskjöld Library.

http://www.un.org/Depts/dhl/

 

 

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MB note:


There is no 1990 baseline in the Millennium Declaration – as Thomas Pogge of Yale has pointed out for many years.

For some things which nations did pledge, I have collated information here:

http://ungoals.org