Benin AND IT’S PROGRESS IN DOING THE UN MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENTAL GOALS

1) Eradicate Extreme Hunger and Poverty  Target 1.A:  Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than $1.25 a day  Target 1.B:  Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people  - “We currently produce 225 liters of palm oil and 10 baskets of palm nuts per week. The machines received are helping us increase our production and expand our business. The profit earned is deposited in a savings account at the Local Agricultural Credit Union [Caisse Locale de Crédit Agricole Mutuel CLCAM],” says Jacqueline Dandjinou.  - The CBCBM is expected to finance a total of 149 community groups, involving 1,669 direct beneficiaries, of which 785 are women (49 percent), for a total of CFAF 505 million (approximately US$1 million).  - Under the Youth Employment Project (PEJ), more than 17,000 Beninese youth will have the opportunity to develop their skills through apprenticeships or other types of technical training. The project will also help young people gain access to funding to finance their start-up or business. The PEJ is nationwide and will focus particularly on agro-processing, artisanal trade, and tourism.  Target 1.C:  Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger  - The project has helped to bring the riparian populations out of abject poverty, which had caused them to destroy the natural resources.  -Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy ( ) adopted by the Government in 2011 is currently under implementation. Benin aims to become an emerging economy by 2025 through increasing sustainable growth over the medium-term. On track for potable water in rural areas.

2) universal primary education-  - Target 2.A:  Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling  - the universal primary education goal and the completion rate goal for boys are likely to be reached, but the 2005 goal of parity in primary and secondary education has not been met and would not be reached by 2015 without reinforced effort. Furthermore, improving the quality of education and the management of the sector remain key challenges.(World Bank)

3)Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women  Target 3.A:  Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and in all levels of education no later than 2015  -the 2005 goal of parity in primary and secondary education has not been met and would not be reached by 2015 without reinforced effort. Furthermore, improving the quality of education and the management of the sector remain key challenges.  - The CBCBM is expected to finance a total of 149 community groups, involving 1,669 direct beneficiaries, of which 785 are women (49 percent), for a total of CFAF 505 million (approximately US$1 million).

4)Reduce Child Mortality  - Target 4.A:  Reduce by two thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate  -child and maternal mortality remain very high despite a sharp reduction over the last years.(world bank)

5)improve maternal health  Target 5.A:  Reduce by three quarters the maternal mortality ratio  -child and maternal mortality remain very high despite a sharp reduction over the last years.  Target 5.B:  Achieve universal access to reproductive health  Clinics and education have been provided but more work will be required to reach universal access.

6)combat HIV/AIDS and other diseases  Target 6.A:  Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS  Target 6.B:  Achieve, by 2010, universal access to treatment for HIV/AIDS for all those who need it  - Over the past decade, Benin has succeeded in reducing national HIV prevalence—from 4.1% in 2001 to 1.2% in Eight out of ten people living with HIV now have access to antiretroviral treatment and one in two HIV-positive pregnant women have access to services that prevent new HIV infections in children.  Target 6.C:  Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases  -on track for reduced HIV/AIDS prevalence.

7)ensure environmental sustainability  Target 7.A:  Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes and reverse the loss of environmental resources  %%% “The project has helped to bring the riparian populations out of abject poverty, which had caused them to destroy the natural resources.  Target 7.B:  Reduce biodiversity loss, achieving, by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate of loss.  - Awareness-raising campaigns organized under this project (a total of 116 compared to the 38 originally planned) have enabled residents of the sites involved to realize the importance of conserving their natural resources. The CBCBM  Target 7.C:  Halve, by 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation  - while Benin is in a position to meet the MDG for rural water supply, reaching the sanitation goal would be very challenging, even with sustained actions.  Target 7.D:  Achieve, by 2020, a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers  Benefits achieved by job creation have been beneficial to the lively hood of those in slums

8) global partnership for development  Target 8.A:  Develop further an open, rule-based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial system  :Despite the pledges by G20 members to resist protectionist measures initiated as a result of the global financial crisis, only a small percentage of trade restrictions introduced since the end of 2008 have been eliminated. The protectionist measures taken so far have affected almost 3 per cent of global trade.  Target 8.B:  Address the special needs of least developed countries  Benin had a problem implementing a tariff policy in 2012 but has since worked out its problems  -Benin has a national debt of $119Million, up from $98mill in 2013, $89 million in 2012, but down from $125 million in 2011  Target 8.C:  Address the special needs of landlocked developing countries and small island developing States Aid to landlocked developing countries fell in 2010 for the first time in a decade, while aid to small island developing States increased substantially.  -Benin in increasing its agricultural production will benefit the landlocked Niger and Burkina Faso with more cheap agricultural products.  Target 8.D:  Deal comprehensively with the debt problems of developing countries  At this time, it appears developing countries weathered the 2009 economic downtown and in 2011 the debt to GDP ratio decreased for many developing countries. Vulnerabilities remain. Expected slower growth in 2012 and 2013 may weaken debt ratios.

 - The global economic and financial crisis contributed to a significant economic slowdown in Benin, and a widening of the fiscal and current account deficits. Growth decelerated in 2009 and 2010 further to weaker global demand for exports, a decrease in re-export trade, primarily to Nigeria, lower cotton production, lower foreign direct investment and the 2010 floods. Was 3.5%. However, growth rebounded in 2012 (5.4%), thanks to significantly higher cotton production and increased port volumes and traffic.  With budget support amounting to $20 million, the first agreement aims to assist with the implementation of the third Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP III), an initiative which intends to accelerate growth by addressing key challenges in the areas of governance, public finance management, and business climate reform.  The second agreement secures an additional credit of $30 million for the Decentralized Community Driven Services Project (PSDCC), a program designed to help poor communities increase their access to decentralized basic social services.  Target 8.E:  In cooperation with pharmaceutical companies, provide access to affordable essential drugs in developing countries  Little progress has been made in Benin.  Target 8.F:  In cooperation with the private sector, make available benefits of new technologies, especially information and communications  Telecommunications companies have signed multi-million dollar contracts with Benin.