Millennium Development Goals: Who's in charge here?

The table in today’s Vox column by Helmut Reisen illustrates the lack of accountability in development assistance — when everyone is responsible, no one is.

Table 1 Unclear institutional assignment to the MDGs

Selected multilaterals working on the Millennium Development Goals
MDG / Thematic area Main multilaterals Other multilaterals with a role
MDG1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger UNDP, World Bank, AfDB, AsDB, IFAD, EC, FAO, WFP CGIAR, IADB
MDG 2: Achieve universal primary education World Bank, UNICEF, UNESCO UNFPA, UNRWA
MDG 3: Promote gender equality and empower women UNDP, World Bank, UNIFEM, UNICEF UNFPA
MDG 4: Reduce child mortality WHO, UNFPA, UNICEF World Bank, WFP, UNRWA
MDG 5: Improve maternal health WHO, UNFPA World Bank, WFP
MDG 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases UNAIDS, World Bank, WHO, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF UNIFEM
MDG 7: Ensure environmental sustainability UN Habitat, World Bank, AsDB, UNDP CGIAR, UNIDO
MDG 8: Develop a global partnership for development World Bank, EU, UNDP, UNIDO, ILO, UNCTAD UNDP
Human rights OHCHR UNIFEM
Conflicts and humanitarian emergencies UNCHR, OCHA, ECHO, WFP, UNICEF, WHO UNDP

Source: OECD Development Centre, “Financing Development: Whose Ownership?”, Paris, 2008, Chapter 2.

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