The industrial countries more need to ensure greater consistency and transparency in their own policies on arms sales. Actions are also required to make powerful poor countries. Development support and debt liberation must be provided in ways that strengthen ownership and effectively help poor countries help themselves. Supporter countries are more and more linking all their assistance to country-driven strategies to condense poverty, developed with the engagement of civil society, private sector agents, NGOs, donors, and the international community. Poor countries should be given more of a voice in international forums to make sure that international priorities, agreements and standards reflect their needs. IFIs, and other international organizations such as the WTO, should maintain to make their strategies and actions completely transparent, and to hold regular conversation with representatives of civil society, in particular organizations on behalf of the poor. (Davis & Weinstein, 1999, 389)
Poverty is an undesirable human condition which does not have to be predictable. The main objective of development is to abolish poverty and decrease social imbalances. Sustainable economic growth and suitable social policies are keys to fighting poverty. At the same time, reducing poverty helps growth by enabling the poor to participate productively in the economy. However economic growth by itself does not undertaking success in eradicating poverty (Nordhaus, 1994, 371). Other important dimensions of poverty, such as quality of life and participation in decision-making, need to be addressed. Leaders of all countries, including the G-8, agreed on International Development Goals (IDGs) to reduce poverty by 2015. The goals are ambitious, but with the efforts and commitment of developing and developed countries, and international development agencies, they can be achieved. (MacNeill, 1991, 159)
Globally, the percentage of people living in poverty declined from 29 percent in 1987 to 26 percent in 1998, even though the total number of poor continued almost unaffected at around 1.2 billion. The decline in the incidence of global poverty is credited to progress made in East Asia, most notably in the People’s Republic of China, although growth was somewhat inverted during the recent Asian economic crisis and seems to have delayed in China. The act in three other regions (Latin America, Africa, and South Asia) illustrates only moderate or no declines in the prevalence of poverty, while the number of people in poverty in these regions has enlarged. (Davis & Weinstein, 1999, 400)
In Sub-Saharan Africa, an additional 74 million people attached the ranks of the poor accomplishment a total of 291 million in 1998. In Latin America the number increased from 64 to 78 million; and in South Asia a sum of 522 million people lives in poverty. Countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia qualified an increase in both the occurrence of poverty and the number of people living under the international poverty line. Here, the frequency rose from 2 percent to 5 percent, interpreting into 24 million people in poverty (Keller & Wolfgang, 2000, 56). Understanding has shown that in countries with lower dissimilarity, growth has a higher impact on poverty decline. Income inequality inside countries has not changed drastically in most regions over the past thirty years, with the exclusion of countries in the former Soviet Union where negative GDP growth has been convoyed by a large increase in inequality. (Nordhaus, 1994, 359)
But divergences between countries have increased the average income of the richest 20 countries is now 30 times that of the 20 poorest countries, as contrasted to 15 times 40 years ago Social meters have enhanced over the last three decades. Life expectancy in developing countries rose from 55 years in 1970 to 65 years in 1998, but is still far below that of 78 years in OECD countries. Child death rates have fallen from 107 per 1,000 live births in 1970, to 59 in 1998. (Keller & Wolfgang, 2000, 62)
All regions apart from Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa mutual progress in this area. Net primary school enrolments enhanced from 78 percent in 1980 to 84 percent in 1998, and adult literacy rose from 53 percent in 1970 to 74 percent in 1998. Though, because of population growth, at the moment there are 41 million more uneducated adults than in 1970.The developments that have taken position mask differences in performance by region, with Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and the Middle East and North Africa falling at the back in reducing child death rates and in improving net primary enrollment rates. They also mask differences diagonally economic stratum. (Davis & Weinstein, 1999, 379)
Not unpredictably, the poor normally fare the worst in terms of social indicators, such as illiteracy, starvation, ill health (incidence of communicable diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS), and transience and morbidity rates. Along with this group, girls and women are often the most harshly disadvantaged, as evidenced by low school enrolment rates and higher incidence of maternal death rates. In a recent study, the poor tell us that uncertainty has increased. (Baker & Grosh, 1994, 19)
By and large, poor people experience they have not been able to take improvement of new economic opportunities because of a lack of associations and lack of information, skills and recognition. Today's poor work first and foremost in rural areas and the urban informal sector. They pronounce that life is more insecure and volatile than a decade or so ago due to a loss of traditional livelihoods, breakdowns in state and social solidarity, social isolation, lack of access to justice, increased crime and violence, and extortion and brutality from the police. Unproductive and corrupt government institutions add to the problems of the poor. (Nordhaus, 1994, 376)
Two circumstances were developed to evaluate temporary progress against the IDGs by 2008 as a suggestion of progress that can be expected by 2015. The more positive one assumes increase rates in real per capita consumption for each region of between 1 and 5 percent and no transforms in inequality. A less positive outlook predicts lower growth rates and an increase in inequality of between 10 and 20 percent. The less optimistic situation was accepted in light of the current crises in Russia and Asia, which set back previous success in poverty reduction and verified the instability in growth rates in developing countries. The hypothesis for the optimistic situation would result in East Asia ,the Pacific and the South Asia exceeding the 2015 targets (in terms of the proportion of people in poverty), by 2008. (Haas, 1995, 255)
Sub-Saharan Africa would still have to shrink the amount of people living in poverty from 42 to 24 percent. The Caribbean and Latin America, and to a minor extent, Eastern Europe and Central Asia would make satisfactory progress by 2008 so that achieving the 2015 target would be expected. The less optimistic situation sees increases in the percentage of people living in poverty, so that achieving the 2015 targets would be doubtful anywhere but in Asia (Gerland, 1996, www.grida.no). IDGs for social development were granted in four areas eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary education; universal primary education; reducing infant and child death rates, and providing access to reproductive health care. About 110 million primary-school-age kids in developing countries were out of school in 1998. (Nordhaus, 1994, 355)
Those who are attending school are not always getting quality education. The aim of attaining universal primary school enrolment by 2015 is liable to be achieved in East Asia and the Pacific, Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Other regions most particularly Latin America have made good quality progress in the last decade and could reach the target. In Africa and South Asia the target emerges too distant. The IDGs describe for equal enrolments of girls and boys in primary and secondary school by the year 2005. On the other hand, this target is suspect to be achieved. Of the 110 million children predictable to be out of school in 1998, 60 percent were girls. The 44 percent gross primary school enrolment rate for girls is expected to enlarge to only 47 percent by 2005. The conditions is similar for secondary school enrolments, where enrolments rates for girls are only 40 percent, a percentage estimated to rise to 47 percent by the target year of 2005. (Haas, 1995, 285)
Actual and predictable data on child mortality indicates progress between 1990 and 1998 in all regions. On the other hand, declines in East Asia, South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa become visible too slow to meet the IDG for 2015 (a two-third reduction over 1990 levels). Death rates have been declining with increasing GDP but, even assuming high GDP growth, newborn and child death rates would be significantly above the IDG target in 2015. (Shaohua & Ravallion, 1999, 58)
Furthermore, keeping newborn and child death rates in Africa from increasing will be a challenge in a number of countries given the increase of the AIDS epidemic. The IDG of providing access to reproductive health services for all who require it by 2015 is suspect to be achieved. The exploit of contraceptives is inclined by many factors, including religious beliefs, cultural traditions and the accessibility of effective methods at a reasonable cost (Keller & Wolfgang, 2000, 59). The number of women and men in need of reproductive health services will approximately double over the next two decades, and achieving this objective will need a combination of increased access to affordable services and stronger education campaigns. Growing the accessibility and use of condoms among young people is above all important to control the spread of HIV/AIDS. (Haas, 1995, 259)
Practice, especially in East Asia, displayed that developing countries benefit from contribution in the global economy through higher economic growth and living standards, and thus concentrated poverty. Enlarged openness to trade creates opportunities for new and investments and jobs, promotes more proficient use of resources and higher productivity. The liberalization of capital flows allows greater access to the external resources required to finance such investments, and foreign direct investment can also give confidence the transfer of technology, managerial expertise, and skills. Open markets also offer consumers with access to a wider range of better-quality goods at lower prices. (Keller & Wolfgang, 2000, 59)
Globalization will boost the flow of investments, technology, and trade. These flows on the other hand, are inclined to concentrate on a few geographical areas and on a few countries within them. Raising the number of countries that create a centre of attention and benefit from investment, trade, and technology flows requires policy responses by both developing and developed countries. The challenge for developing countries is to perform domestic policies that magnetize more foreign direct investments of a relatively long term and steady nature, as well as adopting structural reforms to facilitate domestic adjustment when necessary. Industrial economies also have a significant role to play in executing sound economic policies and providing effective policy synchronization to avoid economic and financial imbalances, which could guide to significant disruptions in financial and capital markets, and diminish prospects for world growth. (Baker & Grosh, 1994, 18)
Access to industrial country markets is an indispensable ingredient in a inclusive approach to growth and poverty reduction in developing countries. Priorities in the area of trade improvement include the liberalization of sectors in which the less developed countries are unreasonably dependent, such as textiles and agriculture (Haas, 1995, 262). In this circumstance, the WTO proposal to grant duty and quota free market access for all products originating in the least developed countries (LDCs) should be highly praised. This would strengthen the impulsion to economic growth and poverty decrease provided by debt relief. (Keller & Wolfgang, 2000, 60)
The emergent impact of communication and information technologies on economic activities, particularly in developed countries, suggests the potential benefits that remain to be reaped. These consist of harnessing new technologies to increase productivity and economic growth, and their use in growing and improving delivery of social services (such as education and health care and diagnostic facilities), to the poor and to isolated areas. Access to information can help create, and progress the functioning of, markets. (Shaohua & Ravallion, 1999, 59)
By erasing disadvantages of place and distance, the new technologies also offer fresh potentials to land and sea protected developing countries to put together with the global economy. Until now it is equally possible that, if current trends continue unchecked, the world could observer a new inequity between information “haves” and “have nots” the so-called digital divide. Extend of new technologies to manufacturing and commercial procedures in the developing world may depend on market trends in domestic and foreign investment. Though, the supporter neighbourhood can play a useful role in supporting pioneering applications of new technology to deliver social services and establish market information networks. (Keller & Wolfgang, 2000, 61)
The prevalence of poverty can degenerate substantially in conflict situations and may not be reversed for an extended period after the conflict has ended. The international community can play a significant role in helping developing countries prevent conflict, as well as in peace-building and social and economic reconstruction efforts in post-conflict circumstances. The priorities for such support include helping countries develop the institutional capacity to put into practice sound domestic policies based on principles of good governance, equitable access to resources, and adequate public expenditure on basic social services (Gerland, 1996, www.grida.no). International supporters need to bring together their assistance more closely in order to improve aid effectiveness, and to reduce the administrative burden on recipient countries. Supporters also need to keep away from any gap between the provision of humanitarian and renovation assistance, so that both contribute in a commonly reinforcing way to an early restoration of durable peace. (Haas, 1995, 265)
This entitles for substantial technical and financial assistance for demobilization, demilitarization, and rehabilitation, and the restoration of domestic institutional capacity. Supporter assistance in creating a professional and transparently run security sector can also help guarantee durable peace. To help developing countries keep away from conflict, the industrial countries also require ensuring greater coherence and transparency in their own policies on arms sales. (Shaohua & Ravallion, 1999, 56)
Conclusion
Achieving the IDGs will not be simple, particularly those for social development. Though, congregation the IDG for income poverty may be practicable, given efficient performance by developing countries, and support from the international neighbourhood. This is mainly because the two countries with the largest groups of poverty Peoples’ Republic of China and India are at the moment on track to do so. The IDGs despite the fact that, are global targets, and if individual regions or countries do not execute them, the strength of the goals will not have been met. (Gerland, 1996, www.grida.no)
Thus, intensive efforts are required by all developing countries and their development partners in the supporter community, if the world is to share equally tremendous poverty by 2015 and approach the other targets IFIs, together with the Multilateral Development Banks and the International Monetary Fund, have a central role to play at the country level, where they provide policy opinion, and technical and financial support for long-term country-driven programs, as well as support to deal with shocks. The institutions also grant advice that helps governments generate a sound environment for private sector development. (Baker & Grosh, 1994, 17)
They have a key role to play at the global level, where they can assist shape international rules and guarantee the provision of global public goods. These are multifaceted tasks that will require even greater association and stronger partnership than in the past. The poverty diminution strategies now being organized are providing a framework for improved cooperation between governments, IFIs and other external agencies, in support of country-owned programs.
REFERENCES
Baker, J.L. and M.E. Grosh, "Measuring the Effects of Geographic Targeting on Poverty Reduction", (1994), sage publications, Pp 17-19.
Davis D. & Weinstein D, "Economic geography and Regional Production Structure”, (1999), Free press, Pp 379-407.
Gerland P. "Socio-economic data and GIS: datasets, databases, indicators and data integration issues", (1996), Use of GIS in Agricultural Research Management. Retrieved on January 18, 2008from
.
Haas, Peter M. and Ernst B. Hass. "Learning to learn: improving international governance." (Dec., 1995), Lynne Rienner Publishers, Pp 255-285.
Keller Wolfgang, "Geographic Localization of International Technology Diffusion", (2000), National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper, Pp 56-62.
MacNeill, Jim, Pieter Winsemius, and Taizo Yakushiji, “beyond interdependence: the meshing of the world's economy and the earth's ecology”, (1991), Oxford University Press, Pp 159.
Neubert S, "Poverty and self-help among small farmers in Chad", (1999), Applied geography and development journal, Pp 55-67.
Nordhaus W.D, "Climate and economic Development", (1994), Sage publications, Pp 355-376.
Shaohua C. & Ravallion M. forthcoming. "Global Poverty Measures and Projections for the Future", (1999), World Bank, Development Research, Pp 56-59.
